In a bipartisan vote of 43-3, the Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation Monday that would allow school districts to be more fiscally responsible and save carryover funds from year to year. Sen. Gary Stanislawski said that current law punishes school districts for saving funds, but Senate Bill 80 will fix this problem.

Legislation to provide financial assistance to school districts around the state passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee Wednesday. Senate Bill 80, by Sen. Gary Stanislawski, would remove the limit on school district carryover funds helping provide schools with more funding.

“Currently, schools are draining their general funds in order to avoid being penalized by the state and having their State Aid reduced. By eliminating the carryover limits, schools could act responsibly and save their money for future budgetary needs,” said Stanislawski, R-Tulsa.

The Senate approved a bill Tuesday which would help give local school districts more flexibility in their spending. Senate Bill 1784, by Sen. Gary Stanislawski, would allow them to use state textbook allocations for instructional expenses in years of revenue decline.

The Senate Education Committee unanimously approved Senate Bill 2129 by Senator Gary Stanislawski, R-Tulsa, on Monday which would create the Statewide Virtual School Task Force.

The purpose of the task force is to explore the establishment of a statewide virtual school in Oklahoma. Certain aspects of the virtual school set to be researched by the task force include the enrollment process, types of courses to be taught, services to be provided, location of operations and funding.

A measure to allow school districts to use state textbook allocations for instructional expenses passed the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Education Wednesday. Sen. Gary Stanislawski said Senate Bill 1784 would help school districts struggling financially due to budget cuts.

Child abuse victims will be receiving help and protection sooner under a new law signed this week. House Bill 1738, by Rep. Ron Peters and Sen. Gary Stanislawski, amends the Oklahoma Child Abuse Reporting and Prevention Act to include “or other health care professional” to the list of persons required to report suspected abuse or neglect of a child.

More and more of Oklahoma’s students are relying on the internet for their education, and thanks to legislation signed into law Friday those students and their parents will be able to be rest assured that they’re getting the same high quality education as they would in a traditional classroom. SB 604 was authored by Sen. Gary Stanislawski who wanted to ensure that Oklahoma’s internet-based education system is efficient and reliable, and not just the easy way out for students.

The Senate Education Committee approved a measure Monday to study the efficiency of Internet-based instruction in Oklahoma. Senate Bill 604 would create a task force to review such programs and make recommendations regarding necessary changes to ensure accountability for those in public schools.

OKLAHOMA CITY Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, is slated to host a town hall meeting addressing domestic violence issues on Dec. 9. The town hall event will allow constituents a chance to hear from Sen. Standridge, learn more about his proposed legislation that will impact domestic violence in Oklahoma and give an opportunity for attendees to ask questions about the upcoming legislative session.