The Oklahoma House approved on Wednesday House Speaker Charles McCall’s education funding proposals which would cost the state up to $800 million. McCall revealed his education funding proposal last week.
House Bill 2775 adds $500 million for an across the board teacher pay raise of $2,500, adds $300 million for additional per-pupil funding of public schools, and adds $50 million for the Redbud school facility grants. It passed 78 to 20.
House Bill 1935 is the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit Act. It provides for a $5,000 tax credit for parents who send their child to a private school. It also gives a $2,500 tax credit for parents who home school. Those parents must provide receipts for qualified expenditures to access the credits. It has been estimated that the tax credit program could cost the state up to $300 million. The House approved the bill by a margin of 75 to 25.
“Delivering the best education possible to our children is one of the most important services we can provide as a state,” McCall said. “Investing in our kids is investing in the future. This plan works for every student, every parent and every teacher in every school.”
House Democrats put up what fight they could against the supermajority. They were against the HB 1935 tax credits because they felt it diverted funds which could do go public schools and it had a lack of accountability.
“Public dollars should be used to fund public schools. HB 1935 is simply a voucher for a private school education at the expense of more than 700,000 public school students,” House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson.
“There is very little protection from fraud and abuse. We don’t want another Epic. We don’t want another Class Wallet,” Rep. Melissa Provenzano said. “There is no accountability system in place for this voucher plan that puts the right guardrails in place to prevent fraud.”
The Democrats objection to HB 2775 is that it could cause a funding gap between rural and urban schools. They contend districts like Oklahoma City Public Schools and Tulsa Public Schools would receive less per-pupil funding due to a cap.
“All schools, regardless of zip code, should be funded equitably. Large urban schools like Oklahoma City and Tulsa would receive around $60 per student while small, rural districts would receive a $400 dollar increase per student,” Rep. Andy Fugate.
Governor Kevin Stitt signaled his support of McCall’s education funding bills.
“After many conversations with parents, students, teachers, and legislators, I am emboldened by the prospect of delivering real education reform through the Parental Choice Act. By providing families with the option of a 100% refundable tax credit of up to $5,000 per child, we are building a foundation for funding students, not systems, in the state of Oklahoma.
“Every child deserves a quality education that best fits their unique needs, regardless of economic status, or background, and I believe the Parental Choice Act will help make that a reality here in Oklahoma, unlocking our full potential and putting our state on a path to become Top Ten in education,” said Stitt.
This is a different funding scheme from the education savings accounts or school vouchers, which did not make it out of the Legislature last year despite Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat carrying the primary voucher bill.
HB 2775 and HB 1935 now head to the Senate.
