HB 1489 Oklahoma House · 2026 Regular Session

Education; Education Reform Act of 2025; effective date.

HB 1489 amends Oklahoma's charter school application process to require applicants to demonstrate community support within the proposed school's geographic area. It adds specific criteria for sponsors to evaluate charter school replication proposals, including evidence of academic success, financial viability, and the ability to replicate successful programs without harming existing schools. The bill also mandates 10 hours of training for both applicants and sponsors on charter school requirements, to be provided by the Statewide Charter School Board. These changes apply to all new charter school applications filed after July 1, 2024, directly affecting charter school applicants, sponsors, and community members.

Issues: ✓ Education

Bill status died 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 3, 2025 Last action Feb 10, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 · 7 edits

MODERATE

This bill was amended by the Policy Committee to replace the entire original measure with a new version that focuses on charter school sponsorship requirements and application processes. The changes add specific eligibility criteria for who can sponsor charter schools, require sponsors to prioritize at-risk students, and mandate community support demonstrations for new charter schools.

Scope change

The bill's scope was significantly narrowed from a broad education reform act to specifically address charter school sponsorship and application procedures, with new requirements for sponsors and applicants.

ELIGIBILITY

Added specific categories of eligible sponsors including school districts, accredited institutions, federally recognized Indian tribes under specific conditions, and the Statewide Charter School Board with population-based limits

REQUIREMENT

Required sponsors to prioritize charter schools serving at-risk student populations or students from low-performing traditional public schools

Added requirement for sponsors to prioritize applicants with demonstrated records of academic success and organizational viability

Mandated sponsors consider seven specific factors including community support evidence before approving new charter schools

Required applicants to complete up to 10 hours of training on charter school establishment processes before submitting applications

TIMELINE

Changed effective date from November 1, 2025 to July 1, 2024 for certain application requirements

SCOPE

Removed the original Education Reform Act of 2025 title and replaced with focused charter school amendments

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 10, 2025

Committee

Referred to Common Education

lower

Feb 10, 2025

Committee

Referred to Education Oversight

lower

Feb 3, 2025

Introduced

First Reading

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors