Changing dates for school elections

Low turnout is far too common in local school board elections, but that trend would change thanks to a bill approved by the Senate.

SB 962, from Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, would align school board election dates with the dates of primary and general election dates for county, state and federal offices.

Protecting pay for school personnel

Pay for teachers and administrators is protected and guaranteed under current state law during epidemics and state emergencies, it is not for school support staff. Sen. Chris Kidd, R-Waurika, authored Senate Bill 807 to ensure the pay of school staffers is protected.

SB 807 directs that school support employees be entitled to pay for time lost when a district is closed because of an epidemic or when a closing order is issued by an authorized health officer.

OHLAP for private, homeschooled students

Senate Bill 132, authored by Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, would allow homeschooled 16-year-olds or public and private school students to enroll as juniors in the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP).

Currently, students must be an Oklahoma resident, have a federally adjusted annual gross family income of $55,000 or less, and enroll in OHLAP in the 8th, 9th or 10th grade.

There are currently about 30,000 high school students enrolled in the program and around 15,000 students attending college on an OHLAP scholarship. It was passed by the Senate.

Screening for daycare child abusers

Rep. Nicole Miller, R-Edmond, secured passage of legislation that would prohibit a daycare center employee with a substantiated finding of shocking and heinous child abuse from being hired by another daycare center.

Miller said HB 1797 closes a loophole in current statute that was brought to her attention by a constituent whose child was attending a daycare facility when an incident occurred. The employee in question was previously involved in an incident at another facility and was still legally allowed to work at a daycare because the employee had not yet been added to the Restricted Registry maintained by the Dept. of Human Services.