HB 3713 requires Oklahoma school districts to spend at least 50% of their annual budget on instructional expenditures starting in the 2026-2027 school year. It defines instructional expenditures using federal standards (from the National Center for Education Statistics) and excludes administrative costs, equipment, or materials for staff. If a district fails to meet this 50% threshold, it cannot offer extracurricular activities during the school day for the entire noncompliant school year. The bill excludes bond sales, fundraisers, and non-profit grants from the budget calculation and takes effect July 1, 2026. This directly affects all Oklahoma public school districts and their budget allocation decisions.
HJR 1058 is a proposed constitutional amendment to Oklahoma's Constitution that would allow school districts to use voter-approved property tax increases (up to 5 mills per $1,000 of assessed value) for operational expenses, in addition to current uses like building construction, repairs, and furniture. Currently, funds from the building and operations fund can only cover physical infrastructure and furniture. If approved by voters, this amendment would expand the permitted uses of these tax revenues to include "operations deemed necessary" by school districts. The measure requires a majority vote of qualified voters in the school district to approve the tax increase and its expanded use. The proposed ballot title clarifies this change without advocating for or against it.
SB 1193 removes restrictions on how much money Oklahoma school districts can carry over from one year's general fund to the next and eliminates penalties for exceeding previous carryover limits. It also removes a rule that previously blocked districts with per-pupil revenue over 300% of the average from receiving state aid. The bill updates the state's school funding formula to reflect these changes, allowing districts more flexibility with their budgets. This directly affects all Oklahoma public school districts by changing how their state aid is calculated and distributed.
HB 1086 updates Oklahoma's school funding rules by redefining how school districts manage their general funds. It requires districts to place capital project funds (like those for building repairs) into a separate building fund instead of the general fund, and eliminates the practice of carrying over general fund money to future years. The bill restricts general fund use for capital projects to only cases where a building is destroyed by disaster (fire, flood, etc.) and other funding sources (insurance, state aid) are insufficient. This directly affects all Oklahoma public school districts in how they track and spend state and local education funds.
HB 1280 (2025) requires Oklahoma school districts to spend at least 50% of their annual budget on classroom instruction starting in 2025-2026. If a district falls below this threshold, it must increase instructional spending by 2% annually until reaching 50%, or face a written warning and, after four years of non-compliance, a permanent 2% annual teacher pay raise for each year missed. The bill defines "annual budget" to exclude bond sales, fundraisers, and non-educational grants, and "instructional expenditures" per federal standards. The bill failed to pass (36-57) on March 27, 2025, so it is not law.
SB 247 creates the "Fund Students, Not Systems Education Savings Account Program" in Oklahoma, allowing eligible students (ages 5-18, including some with disabilities) to receive state education funds for qualified expenses. The State Department of Education calculates ESA amounts based on each student’s school district’s state aid factors, then transfers funds quarterly to cover approved costs like tuition, textbooks, therapy, and field trips. Families apply annually by April 1 to choose participating schools (public, private, charter, or homeschool), with funds restricted to specific educational services listed in the bill. The program aims to provide parental choice while requiring no new oversight for private schools or homeschools, though it does not change public school funding levels.
HB 2176 establishes a 7% tax on retail medical marijuana sales in Oklahoma, collected at the point of sale by the Oklahoma Tax Commission (replacing the Medical Marijuana Authority as collector). The Tax Commission retains 1.5% of collected funds as a fee, with the remaining revenue (after fees) split: $65 million annually first allocated to public school funding (59.23%), the Medical Marijuana Authority (34.62%), and drug rehabilitation programs (6.15%), with any surplus going to the state general fund. The bill also mandates permanent license revocation for medical marijuana businesses that intentionally fail to pay taxes. It takes effect November 1, 2025.
SB 192 changes how Oklahoma school districts calculate state funding by requiring the use of average daily enrollment from the first nine weeks of each school year, instead of previous methods that allowed districts to use higher enrollment averages. This directly affects all public school districts in Oklahoma, as their state aid payments will now be based on this earlier enrollment data. The bill also establishes transitional grants to help districts adjust to the new funding formula, with specific criteria tied to available funding. These changes aim to standardize funding calculations while updating related statutory references and reporting requirements.
HB 1428 creates a $10 million revolving fund called the "Building Equalization for K-8 Student Transfers Revolving Fund" (BEST Fund) to support school districts that receive K-8 students from other districts. The fund can be used for specific facility expenses like building construction, repairs, equipment purchases, utility costs, security systems, and school buses. Districts must use the funds only for these approved purposes, and expenditures require state approval through warrants. The fund is ongoing (not limited to fiscal years) and takes effect July 1, 2025.
SB 240 modifies Oklahoma's school funding formula by increasing the percentage of state education funds retained for midyear adjustments from 1.5% to 4%. It updates how State Aid is calculated using actual tax collections, adjusted assessed valuation, and weighted average daily membership (ADM) from the previous year. The bill affects all Oklahoma public school districts by changing their allocation method and removing outdated provisions related to tax calculations and reporting requirements. These changes aim to improve the accuracy of funding distributions while streamlining administrative processes.
