Nick Archer
After weeks of negotiations, I am excited to share that state leaders have agreed to a historic public education funding package.
The proposal does what is best for our students, supports strong parent involvement in their children’s education and ensures that our teachers have the resources needed to excel in their jobs. Even though the House, Senate and Governor had different ideas in the beginning, everyone came together to create a proposal that ensures all of Oklahoma’s children are served at the highest level possible.
The agreement will allocate more than $625 million to public schools and adjust the state formula to support smaller schools. We need teachers to stay in the classroom, which is why the plan includes raising teacher salaries statewide and providing teachers with six weeks of paid maternity leave. Also included is $125 million of funding in the Redbud Fund, which addresses property tax revenue disparities in districts with lower ad valorem bases and helps meet basic infrastructure and maintenance needs so schools can keep their doors open and divert funding to other areas.
In addition to the historic investments to public education, the agreement also includes funding for innovative programs to improve reading levels and ensure students, teachers and staff are safe at school.
The school safety pilot program is a one-time $150 million allocation in support of a three-year pilot program regarding school safety. The program would allow districts to hire additional school resource officers (SROs) and make other investments toward safety measures.
With the implementation of this education plan, we will have poured more new money into public education in the last five years than in the prior 27 years combined.
From 1992-2018, the state invested $1.37 billion into public education for an average of $50.74 million in new funding every year. From 2019 to 2024, inclusive of the budget we will sign in the next week or so, Oklahoma will have invested $1.45 billion for an average of $290 million in new funding every year. Everyone, regardless of their district, geography, or political party, should be proud of these numbers.
In the meantime, lawmakers in the House and Senate have called for a concurrent special session that will begin meeting this week. The concurrent special session will allow us to finalize this year’s budget and meet after the constitutional adjournment date of May 26 if needed.
I intend to continually keep you informed of what is happening at the Capitol. It is truly an honor and privilege to represent you at the State Capitol. As always, please do not __hesitate to reach out to me with any concerns at (405) 557-7312 or at [email protected].
Nick Archer, a Republican, serves House District 55 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, which covers Beckham, Blaine, Caddo, Canadian and Washita counties.
