On Thursday, the Oklahoma Senate passed House bill 1935 and House Bill 2775, two vehicles originally containing House Speaker Charles McCall’s education package. Despite McCall’s challenge to the Senate not to amend the bills, the Senate did put its spin on the education package.
House Bill 1935 is the education tax credit program. The Senate amended it to allow for a $7,500 tax credit per eligible student going to a private school, if the family has an income of less than $250,000. It also includes a $1,000 tax credit for homeschool expenses, but parents must provide receipts for valid expenses. McCall’s version set the private school tax credit at $5,000 and the homeschool credit at $2,500. That measure was passed by a margin of 40 to seven.
House Bill 2775 provides $500 million for teacher pay raises and to increase the State Aid Formula. It also creates a $30 million grant program for school districts to implement qualitative bonus pay plans for eligible teachers and eligible support employees. McCall’s version was also $500 million with $2,500 across the board teacher pay raises, $50 million to help schools with below average funding from ad valorem tax, and $300 million going into the State Aid Formula. The Senate passed HB 2775 by a vote of 46 to two.
“Today is a great day for education in Oklahoma,” Pro Tem Treat said. “My Senate colleagues and I passed measures that, when signed into law will make drastic improvements to public education, reward our teaches, empower parents to make the best choice for their kids and fund students, not systems.”
The Senate has passed other education measures of its own, as well.
McCall has said if the Senate amended his education package, the Senate education measures would not be heard in the House.
