Senate Measure Increases Public School Funding by $144.7 million

State Senators Monday overwhelmingly approved a $2.152 billion budget for public schools two days before the “Fund Education First” deadline of March 16.

Senate Bill 217, which represents a funding increase for K-12 schools of $144.7 million over Fiscal Year 2005, passed on a 43-0 vote.

“This legislation mirrors the common education appropriation in the governor’s executive budget very closely. More importantly, it includes the funds necessary to keep the promises we made to our teachers last year,” said Senate Appropriations Chairman Mike Morgan, D-Stillwater.

SB 217 includes an appropriation increase large enough to fund the following notable initiatives:
$42.8 million to fully annualize and pay for 100 percent of the individual health insurance premiums for teachers;
$57.7 million for the first phase of the Governor’s four-year plan to raise teacher’s salaries to the regional average;
$4 million for Governor Henry’s Middle School Math Initiative and middle school math laboratories;
$3.1 million in lottery revenue earmarked for elementary and secondary school consolidation;
$3.1 million in lottery revenue earmarked for the Oklahoma Teachers Retirement System;
$2.5 million for the implementation of The WAVE, a student information system that collects data required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act;
$1.7 million for the Department of Education’s National Board Certification program, awarding $5,000 bonus to approximately 350 teachers and providing 75 additional scholarships of $2,500 each;
$1 million allocated to alternative education programs throughout the state;
$837,500 for the Mentor Teachers program;
$700,000 for Advanced Placement Programs throughout the state;
$567,517 for SoonerStart Early Intervention Program which assists infants and toddlers with disabilities and/or development delays and their families;
$500,000 for the Parents as Teacher’s program;
And $363,364 to supplement state costs associated with criterion reference testing and end of instruction tests.

Morgan said the Senate doesn’t have a specific agreement with the House on the common education appropriations measure, but said the passage of SB 217 doesn’t signal troubled waters.

“We expect for our negotiations with the House to continue and we hope this bill can be part of the framework for a final budget that everyone can support,” Morgan said.