State Leaders Unveil Bipartisan Agreement on Education Funding

Governor Brad Henry, House Speaker Todd Hiett and Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan Tuesday announced an agreement on the funding level for public schools.

The agreement provides an increase of $145 million in funding for common education.

"I applaud leaders of both parties, Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan and House Speaker Todd Hiett, for making a record budget commitment to public education. To build the best schools possible, we have to put more resources into the classroom and pay our teachers a competitive salary. This legislation will help us do that," said Gov. Henry. "While the funding increase is much-needed and deserved, it is just one piece of the education puzzle. We must still approve student achievement and accountability measures to make sure Oklahomans are getting the best bang for their education buck. I'm confident we will reach agreement on such a reform measure very soon."

"This budget includes needed funding with reforms," said Hiett (R-Kellyville). "We funded increased teacher pay and health insurance to help keep teachers in Oklahoma. We also provided important conservative reforms that include increased technology to reduce paperwork and rewarding schools that achieve excellence. And we're looking closely at administrative costs, so that we could put more money in the classroom. I appreciate the hard work of the members of the House subcommittee, particularly chairman Tad Jones."

"With this budget, we will make tomorrow better for our children by keeping quality educators in Oklahoma and giving our public schools the resources they need to be successful," said Morgan (D-Stillwater). "I honestly believe the budget is a reflection of our values. When I look at a public school appropriation, I see the faces of the children in our state - future generations of Oklahoma leaders. When you don't see the budget as just a bunch of numbers, it's pretty easy to put aside political differences and come to an agreement."

The budget agreement includes enough money to fully fund full-day kindergarten and other education reform initiatives, including concurrent college enrollment for high school seniors. The governor and legislative leaders are still working on the final details of a school accountability package and hope to announce an agreement soon.