A&B Education Subcommittee

Legislation aimed at safeguarding voluntary religious expression in Oklahoma public schools moved forward Wednesday as House Bill 3240 cleared the House Appropriations & Budget Subcommittee on Education. Authored by Rep. Toni Hasenbeck, R-Elgin, HB3240 would require school districts and charter schools to adopt a policy providing students and school employees the opportunity to participate in a voluntary period of prayer or reading of religious texts during noninstructional time. Hasenbeck said she filed the bill to provide clarity for school districts who may fear litigation following the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court case Kennedy v. Bremerton School District . "House Bill 3240 ensures that students and school employees who wish to voluntarily express their faith have the opportunity to do so," said Hasenbeck, a former educator. "This legislation is structured carefully to create a clear, constitutional framework for our schools while protecting the rights of those who choose not to participate." Under the bill, written consent from a parent or guardian is required before participation, and consent may be revoked at any time. The legislation also prohibits prayer or readings over public address systems and ensures the designated period does not replace instructional time. HB3240 also directs the Oklahoma Attorney General to provide compliance guidance, a model consent form and legal defense for districts adopting policies in accordance with state law. If enacted, the measure would apply beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. HB3240 is now eligible for consideration by the full House Appropriations & Budget Committee. 

Oklahoma House Education Committee Chair Rep. Dick Lowe, R-Amber, reacted to the Monday announcement by State Superintendent Ryan Walters that he would require all school districts in the state to provide free lunches to all students at the cost of employee salaries. The Superintendent does not have the Constitutional or legal authority to direct how individual school districts allocate their budgets. "This attempt to overstep the authority of Walters' office is a threat to the independent decision-making power of Oklahoma's school districts. Regardless, it is nothing more than an empty threat," said Lowe, a former ag teacher. "Addressing student hunger and streamlining administrative costs are both worthwhile endeavors, but these changes must be implemented legislatively, not through an unfunded mandate. State law clearly outlines what districts are required to fund, including minimum teacher salaries and limits on administrative spending, but it does not require free meals universally. That decision rightly belongs to locally elected school boards, who know their communities best and are entrusted with setting district budgets according to local needs. Districts that choose to use discretionary funds to cover meal costs for all students do so voluntarily, not because of any mandate from the state. As such, there is no legal basis for the State Department of Education to retaliate through special sanctions over budget decisions that are entirely within districts' rights. If Walters has legislative goals, I encourage him to be communicative with lawmakers year-round, not after session has adjourned and it's too late for the Legislature to consider any of his proposals." The House has previously considered bills to expand availability of free school meals, including House Bill 1376 in 2023.  Walters' announcement also referred to a potential SDE emergency rule regarding child nutrition standards. Any emergency rule must be approved by the State Board of Education before it can be considered by the governor. If the agency wishes to continue the emergency rule, the rule must be submitted as a proposed permanent rule during the next legislative session. The next regular SBE meeting is scheduled for July 24.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Chad Caldwell, R-Enid, on Wednesday passed legislation in committee that would require state public schools to spend at least 60% of their funding in the classroom.  House Bill 1280  passed the House Appropriations & Budget Education Subcommittee, which Caldwell chairs. It now moves to full A&B.  "This bill prioritizes our kids, our teachers, and our classrooms," Caldwell said. "For a child to excel academically, most of our school funding should go toward teachers and resources that directly contribute to student learning. It's why we send our children to school – to learn. I'm simply asking our school district leaders to do what makes logical sense and prioritize spending on classroom instruction." Caldwell stated that every education study he has read indicates the single most important factor in a child's academic success is having a quality teacher in the classroom. One of the main objectives of this measure is to raise teacher salaries.  "In my 11 years as a legislator, we have passed several bills to improve teacher pay, and as a direct result of this bill, teachers are going to make more money," he said. "While raising pay for teachers is the most likely way for schools to increase instructional funding, there are other options as well.” "I'm disappointed, though not surprised, to learn that some district leaders opposed prioritizing students and higher pay for teachers by fighting against this bill,” he said.   Since 2011, Oklahoma school district administration has grown by nearly 25%, while the state’s student population has increased by about 5% during that same period, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, a division of the U.S. Department of Education. Currently, the average classroom spending in the state is just under 58%, which suggests many public schools are nearing the threshold set by the bill. This measure aims to bring state schools closer to the national average, which is slightly below 62%. However, Caldwell noted that around 150 school districts in the state allocate less than 50% of their funding to classroom instruction.  "Quite frankly, I cannot think of a legitimate reason why a district would need to spend less than half of their budget on the classroom where the majority of instruction takes place," Caldwell said. "As a state, we rank near the bottom in the country in percentage of classroom spending. However, some districts in the state have prioritized learning and are spending 65 percent to 70 percent in the classroom, so we know it can be done in Oklahoma. If other states can figure out how to do this on the whole, we can too." Caldwell stated the definition of instructional expenditures in the bill comes from the U.S. Department of Education. “That is important because it allows for a true apples-to-apples comparison," he said. "So, when we discuss instructional expenditures in Oklahoma, we're using the same criteria as they do in every other state."  The measure does not consider other school staff—such as counselors, nurses, front desk personnel, cafeteria workers, and bus drivers—as classroom expenditures. While Caldwell, whose mother is a retired high school counselor, acknowledges that these employees are vital to school operations, he emphasized that no one would genuinely consider them actual classroom expenses. Those related costs will be accounted for in the remaining 40% of the school’s budget. “Classroom instruction must remain the priority for our schools,” he said.