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OU President Proposes Penny Sales Tax to Fund Education

Emily Wendler / KOSU
University of Oklahoma's President David Boren speaks at the state capitol, pitching his one-cent tax proposal.

University of Oklahoma President, David Boren, and his education advocacy group filed a petition with the Secretary of State Monday, that will ask voters to support a one-cent sales tax increase to fund education.

“Are our kids worth a penny?” Boren asked his listeners at the state capitol.

Various estimates say the tax could cost an Oklahoma family anywhere from $75 to $250 a year.

If Boren and his bi-partisan group, called Oklahoma’s Children - Our Future, collect enough signatures, the sales tax will go to a vote of the people on the general election ballot in November 2016.

“Because we believe that every person in Oklahoma should have a chance to come forward and help us find a solution for the education and economic crisis in our state,” Boren said. “Let the people vote!”

Funding for education in Oklahoma has been cut by about 23 percent since 2008. The state tanks 49th nationally in teacher pay, and 48th in the nation for per-pupil expenditure. The state is also in the throes of a teacher shortage, and had about 1,000 teaching vacancies both this year and last year. Education officials say educators are leaving Oklahoma for states that pay more. 

Boren said the one cent-sales tax would address this. He said it would generate around $615 million annually and would go in to a newly created Education Improvement Fund. K through 12 schools would receive 69.5 percent of the fund, or approximately $424 million per year specifically for raising teacher’s salaries $5,000. None of the funds would go to administrative costs.

Some worry the tax could place a heavier burden on the low to middle-class families than on the wealthy. Boren said he is aware of that, and said his group considered many different options, but decided this was the best one. 

Oklahoma Watch recently reportedthat economists were worried about the shifting reliance on sales taxes instead of income taxes to finance essential state functions. 

Boren said in an interview that he shares those concerns, but was convinced Oklahoma's public education system faces such big funding cuts that "the education crisis trumps the tax policy question." Our choice is to either do this or do nothing, he said.

 
Boren said proceeds would also provide funding for local school district’s performance-based pay increases and differential pay to address teacher shortages. There would also be funds for local school districts to implement reforms aimed at increasing reading ability in early grades, boosting high school graduation rates and improving college and career readiness.

Under the plan Higher Education would receive 19.25 percent of the fund, or about $120 million to address rising tuition costs and to increase college completion rates. Another 8 percent, or $50 million, would to go the state Department of Education to award grants for early learning opportunities for low-income and at-risk children.

The remaining 3.25 percent, totally about $20 million would be allotted to increase workforce readiness and industry certifications for Oklahoma businesses through the CareerTech system.

Emily Wendler was KOSU's education reporter from 2015 to 2019.
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