Gov. Kevin Stitt signed what he called “the most transformative education reform legislation in Oklahoma history” into law in a ceremony in the Blue Room at the Capitol.

House Bill 2078 and Senate Bill 783 allow for students to attend public schools that best meet their needs and modernize the funding formula to match enrollment counts more accurately.

“This is a monumental day for education reform in Oklahoma,” said Stitt. “Education is not one-size-fits-all, and these bills allow parents and students to have the freedom to attend the best public school for them regardless of their ZIP code. Additionally, modernizing the funding formula ensures funding follows the student, not the school. These reforms are vital to getting Oklahoma to be a Top Ten state in education and I am proud of this Republican legislature for its dedication to putting students first.”

“Today is a historic day for education in Oklahoma,” said Secretary of Education Ryan Walters. “We have transformed funding for every single student in the state and empowered them to choose a school that best fits their needs. These two bills will work seamlessly together to have an immediate impact on the way we educate Oklahoma’s students and I commend our state leaders for getting this across the finish line.”

HB 2078, authored by Rep. Kyle Hilbert, R-Depew, and Sen. Zack Taylor, R-Seminole, modernizes the education funding formula by basing per-pupil funding on the most recent enrollment data. The previous system gave school districts multiple enrollment figures from which to base their funding, causing some districts to receive state funds for students who are no longer enrolled.

SB 783, authored by Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, Sen. Kim David, R-Porter, and Rep. Brad Boles, R-Marlow, amends the Education Open Transfer Act to allow students the ability to transfer to another school district at any time, provided the district has space available.

“Oklahoma now moves to the top of the list as friendliest state for military families, because with these open transfer reforms families stationed on military bases now have the opportunity to choose from any of our great public schools to best meet the needs of their students,” said Pugh.

These bills fix the problem of “ghost students” in public schools.

“Due to double-counting, our current funding formula spends $200 million on 55,000 students who do not exist at the districts receiving funding for them. By giving more funding per student in the state aid formula and parents more freedom to choose the public school that best meets their family’s needs, we are moving things in a positive direction for Oklahoma education,” said Hilbert.

House Democrats are opposed to loosening of rules for students to transfer among public schools and deny that there are “ghost students” on the rolls of some districts.

“We have received reassurances that proposed changes to the funding formula will not lead to budget cuts,” said Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa. “These reassurances are being made while there is also talk about taking money away from public schools for having ‘ghost students.’ There are no ghost students.”

Bills should be approved by administrators and teachers – not the government, Provenzano said.