Administrative spending soars at largest Oklahoma school districts

ADMINISTRATIVE SPENDING SOARS AT LARGEST OKLAHOMA SCHOOL DISTRICTS

by Ray Carter, Center for Independent Journalism

Oklahoma schools devote a larger share of funding to non-instructional uses than their counterparts in several surrounding states and a dramatic surge in administrative spending in some of Oklahoma’s largest school districts suggests that situation is poised to get worse, based on data in a recent report by a state watchdog agency.

In a report reviewing Oklahoma’s K-12 public-school funding, officials with the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) found that administrative spending in Oklahoma schools is growing at a faster pace than instructional spending.

LOFT found that, between 2010 and 2021, Oklahoma public schools’ administrative expenditures increased by 40 percent while spending on instruction grew at a slower rate of 35 percent.

OCPA column: Parent unrest not isolated to Virginia

Parent unrest not isolated to Virginia

By Jonathan Small

Recently released district-level data shows Oklahoma parents have reason to feel as aggrieved as counterparts making their voices heard at school-board meetings across the country. Things are so bad that simply holding steady on poor performance is almost an accomplishment.

Urban districts that adopted the most extreme COVID policies and remained closed to in-person instruction for the better part of a year generated the worst outcomes and biggest learning losses on state tests.

In Oklahoma City, 90 percent of students were below expectations in all subjects on this year’s state tests and 67 percent were effectively more than one year behind. In Tulsa Public Schools, 89 percent of students tested below grade level in all subjects, and 64 percent were more than a year behind.

What are those schools doing to make up that learning loss? Not much.

In fact, Oklahoma City officials are proactively making things worse. At a recent school board meeting, Oklahoma City fired six teachers for failure to comply with a mask mandate that was illegal when it was implemented. An attorney for five of the teachers said all five had exemplary records.

For those who wonder, there’s little evidence the mask mandate reduced COVID transmission. Reported case numbers for Oklahoma City schools followed the general statewide trend (of mostly unmasked citizens) by generating a steady rise in September followed by a drop off in October.

State leaders vow to help teachers fired by OKCPS over illegal mask mandate

STATE LEADERS VOW TO HELP TEACHERS FIRED BY OKLAHOMA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS GET BACK IN THE CLASSROOM

OKLAHOMA CITY (Nov. 4, 2021) – Today, Secretary of Education Ryan Walters, Representative Rhonda Baker, and Senator Adam Pugh denounced the decision by the Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education to fire six talented educators for making personal decisions about their own health.

In September, a District Judge made it clear that due to SB 658 schools could only mandate masks if they allowed exemptions for medical, religious, or personal reasons. Other Oklahoma districts have permitted students and teachers to opt-out of mandates, but OKCPS decided to put politics before education.

The decision comes when school leaders across the state are struggling to recruit and retain teachers. Just this week, staffing issues forced Tulsa Public Schools to eliminate the sixth grade at McClure Elementary School. Those students now must go straight to middle school, or transfer to another district.

These state leaders are committed to doing everything they can to get the six teachers let go by OKCPS back in the classroom where they belong.