Education

in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 4, 2025

HB 1094: Schools; curriculum; subject matter standards; State Department of Education; curriculum resources; atrocities of communism; teaching requirements; professional learning opportunities; definitions; effective date.

HB 1094 requires Oklahoma public schools to teach about the "atrocities of communism" to students in grades six through twelve starting in the 2026-2027 school year. The State Department of Education must develop grade-appropriate curriculum resources and integrate this content into existing courses, covering causes, human costs, societal impacts, and comparisons with U.S. constitutional principles. Teachers must receive professional development on this topic, with "communism" defined to include historical regimes like the Soviet Union and Cambodia. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates new curriculum content on communism's atrocities for grades 6-12, expanding required educational standards and teacher training.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum

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in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 4, 2025

SB 407: Federal funds; directing public school districts that receive certain federal funds to use certain portion to provide professional development to certain teachers. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 407 requires Oklahoma public school districts receiving federal funds under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for English learner programs to dedicate 50% of those funds to professional development for teachers who teach English as a second language. This applies specifically to districts using ESSA funds to support students with limited English proficiency. The bill mandates this allocation as a direct policy change, with no additional requirements beyond the funding reallocation. It takes effect immediately upon passage due to an emergency declaration.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates 50% of ESSA funds for ESL teacher professional development, directly funding educator capacity building within education policy framework.95% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationBill allocates ESSA funds for ESL teacher training, directly supporting immigrant integration through enhanced language education services for English learners.85% confidence

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in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 4, 2025

SB 954: Education; prohibiting certain exclusions, denials, and discrimination. Emergency.

Oklahoma Senate Bill 954 prohibits discrimination against students and employees in public schools and higher education institutions based on race, ethnicity, religion, sex, disability, national origin, or marital status. It specifically defines "antisemitism" to include actions like supporting Hamas, participating in certain protests (e.g., encampments targeting Jewish students), or boycotts of Israeli entities, while clarifying that criticism of Israel is not antisemitism. The bill requires schools to integrate this definition into conduct codes, treat antisemitic harassment identically to racist harassment, and provide equal access to programs and services. It directly affects all Oklahoma public schools, colleges, and their students, staff, and faculty by mandating policy changes to address discrimination.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProhibits discrimination against students/employees in schools and higher ed, protecting educational access and safety per bill's scope.90% confidence

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passed · Oklahoma · House Apr 9, 2026

HB 2696: Open records; educational records; requiring schools to release certain records; specifying certain information cannot be omitted; effective date.

HB 2696 requires Oklahoma public schools to provide parents, guardians, or students aged 18+ with full access to individual student records - such as assessments, progress reports, and internal communications - without redaction or omission, except when legally prohibited. Schools must release these records promptly, free of charge, and in a timely manner per the Oklahoma Open Records Act. The bill clarifies that directory information (e.g., name, address, sports participation) may still be released only with parental consent for minors, but schools cannot withhold it without following federal privacy rules. This law, effective November 1, 2025, aims to increase transparency in educational record access while maintaining compliance with federal student privacy laws.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires schools to provide full access to student records, enhancing transparency and parental access to educational information without redaction.95% confidence

Tags Government Transparency

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in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 4, 2025

SB 142: School personnel compensation; modifying minimum salary schedule. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 142 updates Oklahoma's minimum salary schedule for certified school personnel (including teachers) in public schools, effective for the 2025-2026 school year. It sets new minimum pay rates based on years of experience and education level, such as $39,601 for a bachelor's degree with 0 experience, increasing to $59,153 for a master's degree with 25+ years. The bill also clarifies that "fringe benefits" exclude certain retirement contributions and requires school districts to notify teachers if their salary would fall below the new minimums. This is a direct compensation adjustment affecting all Oklahoma public school teachers under the state's salary framework.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill mandates increased state funding for teacher salaries by setting new minimum pay rates, directly increasing public education appropriations.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill establishes higher minimum teacher salaries based on experience/education, directly supporting educator compensation and retention in K-12 schools.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentSets higher minimum salaries for teachers based on experience/education, directly increasing wages for school personnel under Labor & Employment.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

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in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 4, 2025

SB 219: Schools; requiring certain schools to make menstrual products available in certain restrooms. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 219 requires all Oklahoma public school districts and charter schools to provide free tampons and sanitary napkins in restrooms designated for female use or single-occupancy facilities. The law mandates this availability at no cost to students, directly affecting schools and students who menstruate. It becomes effective July 1, 2025, and was declared an emergency to take immediate effect upon passage. The bill defines "menstrual products" specifically as tampons and sanitary napkins for menstrual cycle use.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates free menstrual products in school restrooms to ensure access for menstruating students, directly supporting educational access and well-being in K-12 settings.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates free menstrual products in schools, improving access to essential health products for students who menstruate, aligning with public health access goals.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Health

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in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 10, 2026

SB 1375: Curriculum requirements; requiring students beginning in certain school year to complete certain computer science unit to graduate. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 1375 requires Oklahoma public high school students (grades 8-12) to complete a specific computer science unit to earn a standard diploma, effective for the 2024-2025 school year. It replaces the current "two units of computer technology" graduation requirement with a more defined computer science curriculum, including programming, hardware, and business applications like spreadsheets or databases. This policy directly affects all Oklahoma public high school students seeking a standard diploma, updating existing graduation requirements under state education law. The bill repeals prior versions of the same curriculum section to implement this change.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates specific computer science curriculum for graduation, enhancing K-12 curriculum standards and student digital literacy skills.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates computer science curriculum for all Oklahoma high school students, advancing tech education and digital skills development.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum K-12 Education

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in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 4, 2025

HB 2242: Higher education; Inspired to Teach Program; certain advanced degrees; effective date; emergency.

HB 2242 creates the "Inspired to Teach Program" to support future educators in Oklahoma. It provides scholarship funding covering tuition, fees, and living costs for undergraduate teacher education students (up to $5,500 total) and graduate students in school counseling, special education, or administration (up to $4,500 total), based on credit hours completed. Participants must agree to teach or work in Oklahoma public schools (pre-K-12) for five consecutive years after graduation and maintain academic standards. The program requires the State Regents to establish a committee to evaluate effectiveness and report annually to the Legislature.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates scholarship program funding teacher education tuition/fees, requiring 5-year teaching commitment in OK public schools to support educator pipeline.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Student Financial Aid Teachers

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in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 4, 2025

HB 2928: Schools; Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program; eligibility for children with incarcerated parents; effective date.

HB 2928 expands Oklahoma's Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship Program to include students with disabilities who have at least one parent in prison, in addition to existing eligibility for students with disabilities. It also retroactively allows students previously denied scholarships due to lacking an IEP/ISP on October 1, 2009 (but meeting all other requirements) to qualify. The program continues to provide private school choice for eligible students, requiring prior public school attendance (with specific exemptions) and private school acceptance. School districts must inform parents about this option annually through existing special education notices.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands scholarship access for disabled students with incarcerated parents and retroactively includes previously denied students, enhancing educational access under the scholarship program.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice Special Education Student Financial Aid

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died · Oklahoma · House Feb 5, 2025

HB 1255: Schools; statewide system of student assessments; directing assessments to be administered to certain private school and homeschool students; effective date; emergency.

HB 1255 requires students attending accredited private schools or using the Parental Choice Tax Credit for homeschooling to take Oklahoma's standardized tests starting in the 2025-2026 school year. Taxpayers who claim the tax credit must repay it to the state if their child declines the required assessments. This expands existing public school testing requirements to cover these specific private and homeschool students. The law mandates testing at state-certified facilities during designated windows and ensures alignment with Oklahoma's academic standards.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands standardized testing requirements to private/homeschool students, strengthening statewide assessment accountability within education policy.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum School Choice Testing & Assessment

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