HB 3051 creates the Tulsa Reconciliation Education and Scholarship Program to provide financial aid to students directly affected by the 1921 Tulsa race massacre. It awards scholarships covering tuition costs (up to resident rates) to Tulsa Public School District students meeting specific criteria: family income under $125,000, attendance at schools with high free/reduced lunch participation, and residence in designated high-poverty census blocks. The program also allows preference for applicants who can verify lineage as direct descendants of Greenwood Area residents (1921), with documentation verified by the Oklahoma Historical Society. Scholarships are limited to students under 21 years old at application, with additional awards for high school students to preserve historical awareness of the 1921 event.
HB 3703 requires Oklahoma public school districts to cover tuition costs for high school students enrolled in concurrent college courses. Specifically, it mandates districts to provide tuition waivers for seniors (up to 18 credit hours) and juniors (up to 9 credit hours), funded by district resources. Students who withdraw after the deadline must reimburse 50% of the course cost. The bill also requires districts to grant academic credit for correlated college courses and mandates annual reports tracking participation, waiver usage, graduation rates, and college degree attainment. These provisions aim to expand access to college courses while ensuring financial accountability for students and districts.
HB 1181 extends Oklahoma's School Resource Officer (SRO) pilot program from three to five years and increases the annual spending limit for the School Security Revolving Fund from $50 million to $75 million. The bill directly affects public school districts by allowing them to use state funds for SROs, security equipment (like cameras and ballistic shelters), and facility upgrades, while requiring new hires to complete specific training. Key provisions include prioritizing active law enforcement officers for SRO roles, permitting retired officers or licensed security guards under strict authorization rules, and mandating that fund use supplements - rather than replaces - existing school security funding. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and declares an emergency to allow immediate implementation.
HB 3019 reduces maximum class sizes for Oklahoma public schools in kindergarten through fifth grade over a three-year phase-in. Starting in 2026-2027, classes in kindergarten through second grade may not exceed 22 students; this limit drops to 20 students in 2027-2028, and 18 students starting in 2028-2029. To comply, schools must employ a teacher’s assistant in classes exceeding these limits (with exceptions for special education and certain other classes), and teacher assistants cannot count toward the class size limit. School districts that fail to meet these requirements face reduced state funding calculated based on the number of students over the limit.
HB 3069 changes Oklahoma's charter school application process by removing the requirement that applicants must submit applications either to a sponsor or their school district. Instead, applicants for traditional charter schools (not virtual charters, which still submit to the Statewide Charter School Board) can choose where to submit their application. The bill also adds a 10-hour training requirement for applicants and sponsors on charter school processes, to be completed before submission. These changes apply to applications filed after July 1, 2024, and aim to streamline the application pathway for new charter schools.
HB 3461 prohibits Oklahoma school districts from using state aid funds to cover certain administrator expenses, including severance payments, contract buyouts, or termination settlements for superintendents and other central office administrators. The bill requires these costs to be paid exclusively with local revenue instead of state funds, shifting the financial responsibility from the state to school districts. It defines "administrators" broadly to include superintendents, principals, and assistant principals, and specifies that administrative expenditures cover compensation, benefits, and related payments for these roles. The law takes effect November 1, 2026.
HB 2963 removes the requirement for a minimum 22 ACT score (or equivalent SAT/CLT score) for Oklahoma students who graduated from a high school not accredited by the State Board of Education to qualify for the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program. This change directly affects students who attended non-accredited high schools and previously needed to meet the standardized test threshold to receive tuition assistance. The bill amends Section 2603 of the Oklahoma Statutes to eliminate this specific test requirement while maintaining other eligibility criteria like residency, citizenship, GPA, and financial need.
This bill, titled "Mathematics instruction..." but actually amending the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program, adjusts financial eligibility rules for students seeking higher education support. It raises income thresholds for program qualification (e.g., $80,000 annually for families with five+ children starting in 2025-2026) and adjusts age limits for participation (extending to age 18 for some applicants). Students must meet updated income requirements and comply with program terms like regular school attendance and avoiding substance abuse to maintain eligibility. The bill directly affects Oklahoma students in grades 5-11 seeking financial aid for post-secondary education through this state program.
SB 235 creates Oklahoma's "Grow Your Own Educator Program," which provides matching grants to eligible public school districts that help current employees pursue teaching degrees. School districts must have existing tuition or loan repayment programs for staff enrolled in accredited teacher preparation programs to qualify. The state establishes a dedicated "Grow Your Own Educator Revolving Fund" to cover the matching portion of these grants, awarded on a first-come basis with funds limited by available appropriations. Districts must report annually on employee progress and outcomes, while the state submits broader program reports to elected officials.
HB 1287 authorizes the University of Oklahoma's Board of Regents to create a high-dosage math tutoring pilot program for ninth-grade students who scored lowest on Oklahoma's eighth-grade math assessment. The program targets public high schools in districts with 30,000+ enrolled students and public charter schools. It requires the University of Oklahoma's College of Education to administer the tutoring, focusing on intensive, frequent support for struggling math students. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, with an emergency clause allowing immediate implementation upon approval.
