Education (School Transportation)

HB 3861 requires Oklahoma school districts to cover transportation costs for students attending school-sponsored cocurricular and extracurricular activities, except when those activities are sanctioned by the Oklahoma Secondary School Activity Association (OSSAA). For OSSAA-sanctioned events, the association itself must pay the transportation expenses instead of the school district. Funds collected from OSSAA under this provision cannot be counted toward the school district's general finances. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, and applies to all public school districts in Oklahoma.

HB 2252 requires Oklahoma school districts to provide a 20% wage increase to school support employees earning less than $80,000 annually for the 2025-2026 school year, if they continue working for the same district. The increase is calculated based on the employee’s 2024-2025 salary and adjusted proportionally for hours worked. This change takes effect on July 1, 2025, and applies in addition to any existing compensation, benefits, or collective bargaining agreements.

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.

HB 1244 requires all new school buses purchased or contracted for use by Oklahoma school districts on or after July 1, 2025, to have seat belts for every passenger. This applies specifically to buses with a capacity of ten or more passengers. The bill mandates this change for new vehicles only, not existing buses, and updates signage requirements for school buses. It directly affects school districts and transportation contractors responsible for providing school bus services. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, following an emergency declaration.