Education

signed · Oklahoma · House May 14, 2025

HB 2287: Education; per-pupil expenditure definition; effective date; emergency.

HB 2287 clarifies and expands how Oklahoma defines "per-pupil expenditure" for reporting purposes. It requires school districts and the state to calculate this metric by dividing total daily school operation costs (including instruction, student support, administration, transportation, and nutrition) by the student count as of October 1. The bill specifically adds categories like career and technology education and concurrent graduation courses to the definition while excluding non-operational costs (e.g., building construction, debt). This change ensures the State Department of Education must publish detailed breakdowns of all spending categories alongside the overall per-pupil figure, starting July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands per-pupil expenditure definition to include career tech and concurrent courses, ensuring these programs are counted in funding calculations.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes 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 · House May 7, 2025

HB 1465: Schools; teacher pay computations; military service; teacher salaries; effective date; emergency.

HB 1465 updates Oklahoma teacher salary rules to count up to five years of military service (including National Guard) during a national emergency toward salary increments and retirement benefits. This directly affects Oklahoma public school teachers who served in the military, allowing their service to count toward their salary progression and retirement eligibility. The bill caps this credit at five years total, regardless of the service period. It became effective without the Governor's signature on May 7, 2025, and modifies existing salary schedules to reflect this change.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationUpdates teacher pay rules to count military service toward salary increments and retirement benefits, directly supporting educators' compensation and benefits.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill enhances teacher compensation and retirement benefits by counting military service toward salary increments, directly advancing employment benefits for educators.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill counts military service toward teacher salary increments/retirement, recognizing veteran service for career advancement in education sector.85% 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

Track

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 24, 2025

HB 1088: Schools; transfer students; allowing certain students to transfer to adjacent school district; effective date.

HB 1088 allows students in school districts that do not offer their required grade level to automatically transfer to an adjacent district without facing capacity limits. This applies only to one transfer per student, bypassing standard capacity rules that normally restrict transfers. Subsequent transfers would follow existing rules under the Education Open Transfer Act. The bill directly affects students whose home districts lack their grade level, particularly those seeking adjacent district enrollment.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationEnables student transfers to adjacent districts without capacity limits for grade-level access, directly expanding educational access for students in districts lacking required grade levels.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

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in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Mar 12, 2025

SB 510: Teachers; modifying amount of credit school districts may grant for certain service in the minimum salary schedule. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 510 modifies Oklahoma's teacher salary schedule by changing how school districts count certain teaching experience toward salary increases. It specifically allows school districts to grant credit for up to 10 years of active military service toward state salary increments (previously limited to 5 years), while maintaining a 5-year limit for retirement credit. This change directly affects Oklahoma public school teachers seeking salary increases based on military service or out-of-state teaching experience. The bill updates existing salary schedule rules without altering base salary amounts or other experience credits.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands military service credit for teacher salary increases (10 years vs. 5), directly supporting educator compensation within K-12 salary structures.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentIncreases teacher salary credits for military service (10 years vs. 5), directly enhancing compensation benefits for educators under Labor & Employment.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransSB 510 increases military service credit (to 10 years) for teacher salary increases, directly benefiting veterans in employment through enhanced compensation recognition.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

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in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Mar 10, 2025

SB 554: Teachers; directing stipends, rather than salary increases, be provided to teachers with certain certificates. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 554 would require Oklahoma school districts to provide stipends (one-time payments) instead of regular salary increases to teachers holding specific certifications, such as out-of-state, international, or National Board for Professional Teaching Standards credentials. The bill prohibits these stipends from being counted toward future salary calculations or raises. It amends existing teacher certification laws to clarify that compensation for these certified teachers must follow this stipend structure rather than standard salary progression. This change directly affects teachers with the specified certifications who currently qualify for salary-based increases under Oklahoma law.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill mandates stipends (not salary increases) for certified teachers, preventing stipends from counting toward future raises, promoting fiscal responsibility in budget management.85% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationBill replaces salary increases with one-time stipends for certified teachers, prohibiting stipends from counting toward future raises, reducing long-term compensation benefits.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Education

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