There’s a massive amount of new money on the table for Oklahoma public education this legislative session, but lawmakers are still deciding whose funding plan will win out: the Senate’s, the House’s, a combination of both — or even neither.
The Senate advanced amended versions Thursday of what was originally $500 million — now $540 million — in new education funding through House Bill 2775. The other part of the package is House Bill 1935, a voucher-like tax credit program to subsidize private and homeschool costs. The passage of either bill is contingent on the other.
“It is a reflection of over six weeks of work since the House advanced the bills to us,” Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat (R-Oklahoma City) said at a press conference following the vote. “We were excited that they sent us ‘school choice’ and investment in public education. I think what we did was improve upon what they sent to us. And I hope that they take it up and take it seriously, and that we can begin earnest negotiations from the point that we just passed off here.”
But House Speaker Charles McCall (R-Atoka) warned earlier in the session if the Senate tried to amend the bills in any way, he’d kill the whole package — as well as the Senate’s other 44 education bills, which include 12 weeks of paid maternity leave for teachers, an Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact and an expanded mentor teacher program.
But after the Senate’s advancement of the amended bills, a House GOP Caucus spokesperson said McCall is still open to negotiating teacher raises and hearing the Senate’s other education bills. However, he is standing firm on his ultimatum — as amended, the two bills “don’t have a chance” in the House.
StateImpact reviewed the funding options currently available as of time of publication and compiled the main policy differences between the original House package and the amended Senate package:
