Education

in committee · Oklahoma · House Mar 5, 2025

HB 1522: Schools; state student record system; request for proposals; requirements; State Board of Education to procure certain system by certain date; fund usage; State Aid Formula; calculation; effective date; emergency.

HB 1522 requires Oklahoma school districts to create and publicly post policies by January 1, 2022, defining how many transfer students they can accept per grade level at each school site. It limits students to two inter-district transfers per school year (except for those returning to their home district), allows automatic approval if a student’s home district doesn’t offer their grade level, and prohibits transfers based on unexcused absences (ten or more in a semester). Parents can appeal denials first to the district board and then to the State Board of Education if policies weren’t followed. The bill directly affects students seeking to transfer schools, their families, and school districts managing enrollment capacity.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts inter-district transfers (max 2/year) and prohibits based on absences, limiting student access to schools per bill requirements.85% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education School Choice School Transportation

Track

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

Sub-Topics Teachers

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 4, 2025

HB 1747: Higher education; Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program; no award for reenrollment in failed courses; effective date; emergency.

HB 1747 prohibits Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OK-HLAP) funding for students reenrolling in courses they previously failed. The bill directly affects Oklahoma students receiving OK-HLAP financial aid, which covers tuition at public or private higher education institutions. Key provisions ban payments for retaking failed courses starting in the 2025-2026 academic year, while maintaining existing rules on funding for remedial courses (banned since 2018-2019) and other eligibility limits. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and was declared an emergency.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationProhibits OK-HLAP funding for retaking failed courses, restricting financial aid access and limiting program usage for higher education students.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Student Financial Aid

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 3, 2026

SB 1249: Higher education; prohibiting certain institutions of higher education from using state funds for certain purposes. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 1249 prohibits Oklahoma public universities from using state funds to provide scholarships, grants, tuition aid, or discounted tuition to foreign national students starting in the 2026-2027 academic year. This directly affects public higher education institutions in Oklahoma's state system (like the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University) and foreign national students who would have received state-funded financial aid. The bill requires the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to create implementing rules and takes effect on July 1, 2026. The law does not change eligibility for federal aid or private scholarships.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts state funding for foreign student aid at public universities, limiting educational access for international students in higher education.95% confidence ✗ ImmigrationOpposes ImmigrationRestricts state-funded financial aid for foreign national students, limiting access to higher education services for non-immigrant students.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Student Financial Aid DACA & Dreamers

Track

signed · Oklahoma · House May 4, 2026

HB 1276: Schools; extending prohibition on use of cell phones and personal electronic devices on certain campuses; effective date; emergency.

HB 1276 requires Oklahoma public school districts to adopt policies banning student cell phones and personal electronic devices (like tablets, smartwatches, or laptops) during the entire school day and on school grounds, effective July 2025. Exceptions are permitted for medical emergencies documented by a licensed professional. School boards may opt out of the ban through annual approval, but must still allow device use for emergencies. The bill defines "personal electronic devices" to exclude school-issued tech used for instruction and clarifies "school day" as the full instructional period from first to last bell. It directly affects all K-12 students and school districts in Oklahoma.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationBill mandates school-wide device bans, restricting student access to technology during instructional time, aligning with 'restricts' indicator.85% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyBill mandates bans on student cell phones and personal devices in schools, restricting technology access during school hours per explicit requirements.90% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 4, 2025

SB 192: State Aid; directing State Aid to be calculated based on the average daily membership of a district's first nine weeks beginning in certain school year; providing for transitional grants. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 192 changes how Oklahoma school districts calculate state funding by requiring the use of average daily enrollment from the first nine weeks of each school year, instead of previous methods that allowed districts to use higher enrollment averages. This directly affects all public school districts in Oklahoma, as their state aid payments will now be based on this earlier enrollment data. The bill also establishes transitional grants to help districts adjust to the new funding formula, with specific criteria tied to available funding. These changes aim to standardize funding calculations while updating related statutory references and reporting requirements.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationChanges funding calculation to lower enrollment average, potentially reducing state aid despite transitional grants.85% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 4, 2025

SB 702: Schools; modifying the Health Education Act; modifying topics to be included in health education; providing for review and approval of curricula and materials. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 702 modifies Oklahoma's Health Education Act to prohibit the inclusion of sex education or gender theory in public school health classes. It requires the State Department of Education to review and the State Board of Education to approve all health education curricula, materials, tests, and surveys before use. School districts must implement state-approved materials by the 2025-2026 school year, with annual electronic reporting to the state. The bill also establishes a process for submitting complaints about violations and allows the State Board to label districts as "deficient" for noncompliance.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationProhibits sex education/gender theory in health classes and mandates state curriculum approval, restricting academic freedom and curriculum content.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 4, 2025

SB 371: Schools; directing school district boards of education to adopt policies prohibiting students from accessing certain social network or social media platforms on certain computers and devices. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 371 requires Oklahoma school districts to create policies blocking students from accessing social media platforms (including social networks, blogs, video sharing, and photo sharing) on school-owned computers or devices while on school premises. The bill defines "social media" broadly to cover all interactive online platforms where users contribute content. School boards must adopt these policies by a specified deadline, with rules to be developed by the state education agency. The law takes immediate effect due to an emergency declaration.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationMandates blocking social media on school devices, restricting student access to online platforms during school hours, aligning with 'restricts curriculum or academic freedom' indicator.95% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyRestricts student access to social media on school devices, limiting internet access as defined by the bill's broad 'social media' scope.90% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety Social Media

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 11, 2025

SB 589: Schools; adding course to fulfill English unit or set of competencies requirement for graduation. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 589 amends Oklahoma's high school graduation requirements to require that English curriculum standards give "Classic Literature and nonfiction literature equal consideration to other literature" and emphasize "the study of complete works of literature." This change directly affects Oklahoma public high school students in grades 8-12 during the 2024-2025 school year, as it modifies the English course requirements for a standard diploma. The bill updates existing curriculum standards under Section 11-103.6 of state law to ensure English courses include these specific literary forms. It does not alter other graduation requirements like math, science, or history courses, which remain unchanged. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationMandates equal focus on classic/nonfiction literature, restricting curriculum flexibility per bill language.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum K-12 Education

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 4, 2025

SB 850: School curriculum; directing certain history component to include certain information about the founding fathers. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 850 requires Oklahoma public school teachers to include specific primary source quotes from founding figures in US history courses, emphasizing Christianity's role in America's founding. The bill mandates teaching that the Constitution was "made only for a moral and religious people" and directs educators to use 14 prescribed quotes from figures like John Adams, George Washington, and Noah Webster. It specifies including content about the "original intent of the founding fathers" and the "influence of the Ten Commandments and the Bible" on founding documents. The law applies to all public school US history curriculum and takes immediate effect as an emergency measure.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationMandates specific historical quotes and Christian emphasis in curriculum, restricting academic freedom and dictating content per bill's requirements.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum

Track