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Contents:
 View the OSDE Reporting Requirements Calendar for upcoming deadlines and reporting details.
ESSER & GEER Funds must be spent before June 30
School districts awarded the Project 789 competitive grant must spend ESSER/GEER funds no later than June 30. There will be no additional carryover of these funds.
Claims for allowable expenditures under these funds must be submitted through the Grants Management System (GMS) in Single Sign-On no later than July 31 at 11:59 p.m.
GMS final closeouts are due Sept. 1.
For more information, visit the Project 789 webpage.
If you have questions, contact Shelly Perkins at shelly.perkins@sde.ok.gov.
Save the date for the 2022 OKASRO Conference in Tulsa, July 27-29. Presentation topics and speakers TBD.
The conference is open to school administrators and support staff. At least 16 CLEET hours will be offered.
Register here.
Beginning in August: Professional Development Sequence
The State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) is a comprehensive multi-year plan for improving results for children with disabilities. Oklahoma's SSIP seeks to improve early literacy outcomes in K-3 school sites by the end of 2025.
All K-3 school sites will have access to curated universal supports and three years of sequenced professional development. ATSI school sites will have an additional invitation to apply for instructional coaching.
Register for the first cohort here.
Resources and professional development will begin in August.
Watch this video to learn more about the SSIP.
If you have questions, contact Alexa Hudak at alexa.hudak@sde.ok.gov.
A number of new education laws are now in effect or will become effective at a later date. View bill language and effective dates below.
HB 2046 – (Rep. McCall and Sen. Taylor) Creates the Higher Education Institution Local Funding Act to allow boards of 2-year colleges to adopt a resolution to organize a funding district and levy a property tax millage. Prohibits a higher education funding district from including the territory or levy of any CareerTech district. Requires an election to be held in November of even-numbered years and pass with 60% majority to approve the district. Allows the operational millage rate revenue to be used for employee salaries and benefits, utility costs, books, classroom supplies, physical plants, HVAC, motor vehicles, etc. Prohibits revenue from being used to compete with an existing CareerTech district that is contiguous or in close proximity. Prohibits the State Regents from taking such revenue into consideration when allocating appropriated funds. Effective 90 days after Sine Die.
HB 2627 – (Rep. Dick Lowe and Sen. Montgomery) Requires each county assessor to mail or email an annual report by June 1 listing any tax protests in excess of $3 million to the chief financial officer (CFO) of each impacted school district and recipient tax jurisdiction. The report must include:
- A list of protests filed with the county assessor at the time of the report;
- The value under protest for each of the protests filed with the county assessor at the time of the report; and
- The estimated amount under protest that would otherwise be apportioned to the taxing jurisdiction.
Requires the taxpayer filing a protest to also file the property listing and assessment form provided to the assessor. Failure to do so will result in a presumption in favor of the assessor’s valuation. Requires assessors to provide the protester a timeline including all deadlines and the consequences of failing to meet each deadline. Lastly, it authorizes the county assessor to appoint, or request the Tax Commission to appoint, third-party appraisers to assist in conducting property valuations, provided such appraisers may not participate in valuation negotiations, or protests to the county assessor or county board of equalization. Subjects third-party appraiser contracts and communications between an assessor and an appraiser to the Open Records Act with the exception of property assessment information. Effective November 1, 2022.
HB 2693 – (Rep. Williams and Sen. Pugh) Creates the Oklahoma Education Commission consisting of 17 members including four appointed by the State Superintendent. Requires the Commission to research how to improve the quality of remote learning including infrastructure, open education resources and professional development. Requires a report of findings be submitted to the Legislature prior to dissolving November 1, 2027. Effective November 1, 2022.
HB 3564 – (Rep. McBride and Sen. Pemberton) Creates the Oklahoma Future Teacher Scholarship and Employment Incentive Program, administered by the State Regents, providing up to $25,500 in scholarships and incentive payments to prospective teachers over the course of a four-year teacher preparation program and five subsequent years of classroom service. To be eligible for the program, a candidate is required to:
- Graduate from an Oklahoma high school;
- Declare a major in an Oklahoma teacher education program leading to standard certification;
- Meet higher education admission standards; and
- Agree to teach in an Oklahoma public school for at least five consecutive years upon graduation.
Students who make satisfactory academic progress towards completion of their degree are eligible for an annual $1,000 scholarship – $2,500 for senior year – totaling $5,500. Teachers completing the program and securing a job in an Oklahoma public school are eligible for annual employment incentive payments of $4,000 for five years totaling $20,000. Allows the State Regents to set aside funds for the full commitment made to an eligible student once an award is made. Effective July 1, 2022.
HB 3901 – (Rep. Pfeiffer and Montgomery) Requires the Court of Tax Review to hear complaints challenging a county board of equalization’s valuation of property that exceeds $3 million, with a scheduling conference to be held within 20 days of the answer filed by the county assessor. Requires cases before the Court of Tax Review to go before a judicial administrative district that does not contain any of the property in the case within its borders. Requires a decision in each case to be made within 12 months of the case being assigned to a three-judge panel. Requires any challenges of property valuations less than $3 million to go to district court. Effective January 1, 2023.
HB 4388 – (Rep. Hilbert and Sen. Pugh) Directs Oklahoma Education Lottery Trust Fund net proceeds exceeding $65 million be deposited into the Teacher Empowerment Revolving Fund to be used as a state match for school districts providing salary increases for teachers with advanced, lead, and master teaching certificates. Beginning with the 2022-23 school year, matching funds may be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis as follows:
- Advanced: minimum $3,000 salary increase with 5 workdays reserved for instructional leadership.
- Lead: minimum $5,000 salary increase with 10 workdays reserved for instructional leadership.
- Master: minimum $10,000 salary increase (capped at $40,000) with 15 workdays reserved for instructional leadership.
Allows teachers working in districts with at least 40% of students being economically disadvantaged or with total enrollment below 1,000 students to be eligible for a one-time stipend of $1,500, $2,500, or $5,000 depending on the level of certification. Requires school districts wishing to participate in the program to submit designation plans to the OSDE for evaluation and approval, with subsequent review and validation to be made biennially. Requires district designation plans to include, at minimum, teacher observation, out-of-classroom and student performance components. Advanced designations may be made twice per year, provided no more than 10% of a district’s teachers may be designated in a given school year. Exempts designated teachers from annual TLE evaluations and directs them to be placed in professional development cohorts for additional OSDE training opportunities. Requires the OSDE report annually on districts participating in the program, the number of designations awarded and the total amount of state matching funds distributed. Effective July 1, 2022.
HB 4465 – (Rep. Wallace and Sen. Thompson) Sets budget limits for FY 2023 funds directed to the State Board of Education by SB 1040. Funding increases include $2m for alternative education, $1.825m for Sooner Start, $1m for RSA, $1m for state assessment, $500k for AP and $500k for TRS employee credit. New line items include $1m for Imagine Reading, $500k for Child ID, $500k and for Great Expectations, $500k for student information security, $300k for standards implementation and $250k for ACT Work Keys. Effective July 1, 2022.
SB 615 – (Sen. Bullard and Rep. Williams) Requires public schools to designate multiple occupancy restrooms or changing areas for the exclusive use of the male sex or female sex, defined as the physical condition of being male or female based on genetics and physiology, as identified on an individual’s original birth certificate. Requires schools to provide a single-occupancy restroom or changing room for those that do not wish to comply. Provides exceptions for custodial and maintenance purposes, or in cases of medical emergency. Requires local boards to adopt a discipline policy for individuals who refuse to comply. Requires the State Board of Education to decrease a school district’s state appropriations by 5% the following year if they are found to be noncompliant. Provides a legal cause of action for a parent or guardian of an enrolled student who is physically attending a noncompliant school. Effective May 25, 2022.
http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=sb1040&Session=2200
SB 1040 – (Sen. Thompson and Rep. Wallace) Makes general appropriations (GA) for Fiscal Year 2023 to the various agencies of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of state government. It appropriates $3,181,359,518 to the State Board of Education, a $16,973,334 (0.54 percent) increase from prior the year. Budget items include $2,437,246,699 for the financial support of public schools (level with FY22), $553,404,829 ($17.8m increase to the Flexible Benefit Allowance (FBA), $117,919,026 ($9m increase) for school activities, $19,145,366 ($4.1m increase) for OSDE’s administrative and support functions. It also includes $95,283,174 for the ad valorem reimbursement. Effective July 1, 2022.
SB 1673 – (Sen. Pugh and Rep. Nollan) Creates tiered income qualifications for the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP), also known as Oklahoma’s Promise, beginning in 2022-23 as follows:
- Not exceeding $60,000 in federal adjusted gross income per year for parent(s) with 2 or fewer dependents;
- Not exceeding $70,000 per year for parent(s) with 3-4 dependents; and
- Not exceeding $80,000 per year for parent(s) with 5 or more dependents.
Importantly, the prior income cap was $60,000 regardless of family size. Effective July 1, 2022.
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