Education

signed · Oklahoma · House May 12, 2025

HB 1940: Charter schools; sponsorship; adding county to certain sponsor; effective date; emergency.

HB 1940 amends Oklahoma's charter school law to establish a new annual limit: the Statewide Charter School Board may sponsor no more than five new charter schools per year in counties with fewer than 500,000 residents. This directly affects the Statewide Charter School Board's authority and charter school expansion in smaller counties, while maintaining existing sponsorship rules for other areas. The rule applies to all new charter school applications approved after July 1, 2025, when the bill takes effect. The bill does not change sponsorship requirements for schools in larger counties or other sponsor types.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts new charter school expansion in smaller counties by capping annual sponsorships at five, limiting educational access options for K-12 students.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Oklahoma · Senate May 7, 2025

SB 942: Education; prohibiting certain discrimination on certain basis against students or employees.

SB 942 is a clarifying amendment to an existing education discrimination bill. It adds a specific provision (subsection G) explicitly stating that the bill's provisions do not restrict the implementation, funding, or administration of Indian education programs or services established under federal or state law. This amendment directly affects existing Indian education programs by ensuring they remain protected from potential unintended restrictions under the broader anti-discrimination law. The amendment was added to the bill on February 24, 2025, and the bill became law after the governor approved it on May 6, 2025.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill explicitly protects Indian education programs' funding/administration from unintended restrictions under anti-discrimination law, ensuring continued support for these specific educational services.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Oklahoma · Senate May 5, 2025

SB 139: Schools; requiring school district boards of education to adopt certain cell phone policy.

SB 139 requires Oklahoma public school district boards of education to adopt cell phone policies by the 2025-2026 school year. Starting in the 2026-2027 school year, boards may choose to implement policies prohibiting students from using cell phones or personal electronic devices on school campuses "from bell to bell" during school hours. The bill directly affects school districts by setting a timeline for policy adoption and defining the scope of device restrictions during instructional time. This legislation, approved by the governor on May 3, 2025, provides a framework for district-level decisions without mandating specific enforcement.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires school districts to implement cell phone restrictions during instructional time to minimize distractions, supporting classroom focus and learning environment.85% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyRestricts student cell phone use during school hours, limiting technology access in educational settings per bill's 'from bell to bell' device prohibition requirement.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

passed · Oklahoma · Senate May 1, 2025

SB 409: School year; requiring school to be in session for an additional day if certain appropriated amount is greater than the amount appropriated for the prior fiscal year. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 409 would require Oklahoma public school districts to add one additional day of classroom instruction starting July 1, 2025, if the state allocates at least $25 million more in funding for public schools than the previous fiscal year. This provision directly affects all Oklahoma public school districts by mandating an extra school day when specific state budget increases are met. The bill establishes a clear funding trigger ($25 million greater than prior year) as the mechanism for the requirement, with no changes to existing minimum instructional time standards (180 days or 1,080 hours). It is designed to link state education funding increases directly to expanded instructional time for students. The bill was introduced but failed passage in April 2025 (22-63 vote).

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates an extra school day when state funding increases by $25M, directly linking increased funding to expanded instructional time, enhancing educational access and student learning opportunities.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

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passed · Oklahoma · House Apr 24, 2025

HB 2154: Charter schools; Oklahoma Charter Schools Act; exemptions; financial statements; contract requirements; effective date; emergency.

HB 2154 amends Oklahoma's Charter Schools Act to require charter school governing boards to approve a budget for each upcoming fiscal year before it begins. This change directly affects all Oklahoma charter school governing boards by adding a new annual procedural requirement. The bill focuses on strengthening financial oversight through mandatory pre-fiscal-year budget approvals, without altering other provisions like financial statement requirements or contract rules. The amendment was added to the bill during committee review and is currently pending in the House.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates annual budget approvals for charter schools to strengthen financial oversight, supporting operational integrity in K-12 education management.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

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passed · Oklahoma · House Apr 17, 2025

HB 2125: Education; adjunct teachers; instructional levels; early childhood education programs; authorizing adjunct teachers; effective date; emergency.

HB 2125 removes a restriction that previously barred adjunct teachers from teaching special education classes in early childhood education programs. The bill authorizes adjunct teachers to instruct in special education within these programs, expanding their teaching scope. This change directly affects adjunct teachers employed in Oklahoma's early childhood education settings. The bill is currently pending in the Oklahoma legislature after passing committee amendments.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRemoves restriction on adjunct teachers teaching special education in early childhood programs, expanding access to specialized instruction within educational settings.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

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passed · Oklahoma · House Apr 1, 2025

HB 1760: Revenue and taxation; Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Act; tax credit; foundations; cap; contribution; eligibility; rules.

HB 1760 creates tax credits for Oklahoma taxpayers who contribute to eligible scholarship-granting or educational improvement organizations. It allows a 50% tax credit (up to $1,000 for individuals, $2,000 for married couples, $100,000 for businesses) on contributions, increasing to 75% for those making a multi-year commitment with written proof. The bill also modifies how credits are allocated to business owners and requires annual financial reporting from participating organizations. These credits are subject to annual caps established by the Oklahoma Tax Commission.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates tax credits (50-75%) for education donations, reducing taxpayer liability and directing private funds toward educational programs via fiscal incentives.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates tax credits to fund education scholarships, expanding access and increasing private funding for K-12 education through tax incentives.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

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failed · Oklahoma · House Mar 27, 2025

HB 1280: Schools; instructional expenditures; requirement; procedures; definitions; effective date; emergency.

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.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesMandates 50% of school budgets for instruction, promoting fiscal responsibility in educational spending allocation without altering tax policy.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates 50% budget allocation for classroom instruction, with teacher pay raises for non-compliance, directly supporting educational funding and teacher compensation.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

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in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 17, 2025

HB 2371: Schools; mental health; pilot programs; revolving fund; effective date.

HB 2371 proposes funding pilot programs for school districts to use AI software on school-issued devices as a safety tool, without direct student surveillance. The bill requires the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and the State Department of Education to fund AI programs that analyze device activity (via existing web filtering systems) to assess student safety, readiness to learn, and well-being, using data already collected for compliance. It creates a dedicated revolving fund in the state treasury to cover costs like software, equipment, and personnel for these voluntary pilot programs, which can be implemented at the district or school level. The bill would take effect November 1, 2025, if passed.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill allocates state funds for AI safety pilot programs in schools, enhancing student well-being initiatives through existing infrastructure without direct surveillance.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates funding for AI programs assessing student well-being via school devices, directly supporting school-based mental health services under mental health departments.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill funds AI software pilot programs for school safety using existing web filtering systems, advancing technology use without direct surveillance.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

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in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 17, 2025

HB 1281: Teachers; Return to Teach Signing Bonus Act; emergency.

HB 1281 creates a $35,000 signing bonus program for classroom teachers and school counselors returning to Oklahoma public schools after leaving the state. To qualify, applicants must have at least three years of prior experience, not have worked in an Oklahoma public school in the past year, and agree to teach full-time for five years. The State Department of Education verifies eligibility before payment and requires annual confirmation of continued employment. If false information is found or the five-year commitment isn't met, participants must repay the bonus or a pro-rated portion. The bonus is excluded from salary calculations for retirement benefits and minimum pay schedules.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides $35k signing bonus to attract/retain teachers, directly supporting educator workforce stability and school staffing needs.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProvides $35k signing bonus to attract teachers, directly funding employment retention in education sector per bill's explicit financial incentive structure95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

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