Topic: Education Funding

Fine arts education matters: how shrinking budgets deepen inequalities

By: Rebecca Fine
December 18, 2018 // Updated: September 22, 2023
Oklahomans know every student needs access to quality public education.  Unfortunately, our state has struggled to uphold this commitment.  While all areas of public education have suffered from slashed education funding over the past decade, budget cuts have hit fine… Read more [More...]

Beyond Teacher Pay: Class size matters

By: Rebecca Fine
October 24, 2018 // Updated: September 22, 2023
Last April, the Oklahoma Legislature passed HB1010xx and other revenue measures, which restored $480 million dollars of education funding.  The majority of  the new revenue is being used to fund a long-awaited pay raise for teachers.  HB1010xx also increased funding… Read more [More...]

State Question 801: Allow Building Fund Revenue for School Operations

By: Jessica Vazquez
September 2, 2018 // Updated: May 1, 2019
State Question 801 will be on the ballot on November 6, 2018. Download this fact sheet as a PDF or download all five State Questions as a single PDF. Visit our 2018 State Questions and Elections page for more information on Oklahoma ballot measures and elections. … Read more [More...]

SJR 70 could create tough choices for Oklahoma schools

By: Gene Perry
April 26, 2018 // Updated: May 2, 2019
As the dust settles in the aftermath of Oklahoma’s teacher walkout, advocates are still trying to understand what’s been achieved and what still needs to be done to fully fund the state’s education responsibilities. Now another wrinkle could emerge from… Read more [More...]

Fact Sheet: Is education fully funded?

By: David Blatt
April 12, 2018 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Updated April 17th [Download this fact sheet as a pdf.] In March, lawmakers approved a package of funding increases that included pay raises for teachers (HB 1023xx), school support staff (HB 1026xx), and state workers (HB 1024xx), along with additional… Read more [More...]

The education funding package is a major step forward. There’s more work to do.

By: David Blatt
April 3, 2018 // Updated: June 6, 2019
The Oklahoma Legislature last week passed a set of bills to provide pay raises to teachers, school support staff, and public employees funded primarily by a tax increase on tobacco, motor fuels, and gross production. Passage of the revenue bill… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma has many good options to resolve the teacher walkout

By: David Blatt
March 15, 2018 // Updated: May 2, 2019
The Oklahoma Education Association last week called on the Legislature to support an ambitious proposal to increase funding for public education and state services. The association, which represents nearly 40,000 teachers and school employees across the state, warned that “If… Read more [More...]

As Oklahoma teachers plan to follow West Virginia in walkout, they confront a funding crisis that’s much worse

By: Gene Perry
March 13, 2018 // Updated: May 2, 2019
For nine days, teachers in West Virginia went on strike to protest their low pay and benefits. The strike began when West Virginia Governor Jim Justice signed a bill that would give teachers just a 2 percent raise in the… Read more [More...]

‘This is not OK’: Cuts are hitting all aspects of public education

By: David Blatt
February 22, 2018 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Miami Public Schools in Ottawa County serves about 2,500 K-12 students in seven schools. This year, four school librarian positions were eliminated, leaving the district without a single librarian. In Newkirk, there is no librarian and no speech or drama… Read more [More...]

‘This is not OK’ Infographic

By: Gene Perry
// Updated: May 1, 2019
Read the related blog post here.… Read more [More...]