Education

HB 1280 (2025) requires Oklahoma school districts to spend at least 50% of their annual budget on classroom instruction starting in 2025-2026. If a district falls below this threshold, it must increase instructional spending by 2% annually until reaching 50%, or face a written warning and, after four years of non-compliance, a permanent 2% annual teacher pay raise for each year missed. The bill defines "annual budget" to exclude bond sales, fundraisers, and non-educational grants, and "instructional expenditures" per federal standards. The bill failed to pass (36-57) on March 27, 2025, so it is not law.

HB 1305 regulates student athletes' name, image, and likeness (NIL) activities at Oklahoma postsecondary institutions. It requires schools to provide mandatory financial literacy education (either a 5-hour workshop or a credit course covering budgeting, taxes, contracts, and debt management) before athletes can engage in NIL deals, and prohibits institutions from charging athletes for related financial services. The bill also restricts athletes from signing NIL contracts that conflict with school policies or harm the institution's reputation, and bans promotional content in financial education. These requirements apply directly to student athletes participating in intercollegiate sports at Oklahoma colleges and universities.