The drama surrounding seemingly every move of state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters since he took office in January 2023 often has overshadowed successful efforts in the Legislature to increase funding across the board for education in Oklahoma.
Last year, common education, higher education and CareerTech — the three major legs of the state’s education system — each received financial boosts, and the appetite appears to be there to increase funding even more during the upcoming legislative session that will begin Monday.
Although Walters hasn’t asked for more money for common education — his budget request of $3.92 billion was slightly lower than the $3.97 billion appropriated last year — legislative leaders are searching for ways to boost teacher salaries and make sure top teachers are eligible to see even larger salary increases.
State higher education regents have asked for a record amount of money — $1.126 billion — and have high hopes about $200 million will be allocated toward what they say are about $1.5 billion in deferred maintenance needs across the state system’s 25 colleges and universities. CareerTech, meanwhile, is asking for a 26% funding increase, as the system grapples with how to address a waiting list that’s grown to about 7,500 students.