School districts fight funding changes

School districts fight funding changes

PEORIA..ONCE WE GET MORE DETAILS, WEWILL UPDATE YOU ON OUR APP ANDWEBSITE.IN TONIGHT'S PROJECT SAFESCHOOLS -AT LEAST THREE TULSA AREASCHOOL BOARDS VOTED TONIGHT TOFIGHT THE STATE BOARD OFEDUCATION.IT STEMS FROM THE STATEBOARD'S DECISION TO EQUALIZEFUNDING BETWEEN CHARTER SCHOOLSAND TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS.2 WORKS FOR YOU'S KATIEKELEHER EXPLAINS WHY MANY SCHOOLDISTRICTS ARE UPSET...AND WHAT TONIGHT'S VOTE MEANS.KATIE?THIS ALL GOES BACK TO APENDING COURT CASE TULSA PUBLICSCHOOLS JOINED IN 20-17.NOW - THE T-P-S BOARD ISAUTHORIZING ITS ATTORNEYS TOFILE CLAIMS AGAINST THE OKLAHOMASTATE BOARD OF EDUCATION IN THATCASE.THE T-P-S BOARD OF EDUCATIONVOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO MOVEFORWARD WITH LEGAL ACTIONAGAINST THE STATE BOARD OFEDUCATION.IN A STATEMENT - THE DISTRICTSAYS:"TONIGHT'S ACTION STEMS FROM THESTATE BOARD'S RECENT ANDUNEXPECTED (4-3) VOTE TO RESOLVETHE 20-17 LITIGATION ANDREDISTRIBUTE LOCAL AND STATEDEDICATED SOURCES OF REVENUE TOCHARTER SCHOOLS, INCLUDINGVIRTUAL CHARTER SCHOOLS LIKEEPIC, EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2021."IN A PREVIOUS STATEMENT RELEASEDAT THE TIME OF THE VOTE -SUPERINTENDENT GIST SAYS THEYARE DEEPLY TROUBLED BY THEDECISION - CALLING IT UNLAWFULTO TAKE LOCAL TAXPAYER DOLLARSAWAY FROM TRADITIONAL PUBLICSCHOOLS TO CHARTER SCHOOLS.SHE ALSO CALLED THEIR ACTION -".UNETHICAL AND HARMFUL TO THECHILDREN AND FAMILIES SERVED BYVIRTUALLY EVERY RURAL, SUBURBAN,AND URBAN DISTRICT IN OKLAHOMA."T-P-S ISN'T ALONE IN TAKINGACTION AGAINST THE STATE BOARD.SAPULPA AND JENKS SCHOOLDISTRICTS BOTH VOTED MONDAY TOINITIATE LEGAL ACTION.IN A STATEMENT - JENKS PUBLICSCHOOLS SAYS:"WHILE WE ARE HOPEFUL THIS ISSUECAN BE RESOLVED WITHOUT LEGALACTION, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITYTO OUR STUDENTS TO DO EVERYTHINGIN OUR POWER TO PROTECT JENKS'TAXPAYER DOLLARS USED TO CREATEEDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES ANDPRESERVE AN EXCEPTIONAL LEARNINGENVIRONMENT HERE AT JPS."MEANWHILE - GOVERNOR KEVIN STITTIS IN FAVOR OF THE STATE BOARD'SDECISION...CALLING IT THE RIGHT ONE FOROKLAHOMA STUDENTS.HE ALSO SAYS PUBLIC SCHOOLSTUDENTS SHOULD NOT BE PUNISHEDFOR SUCCEEDING IN A CHARTERSCHOOL SETTING.THESE DISTRICTS JOIN MANYOTHERS ACROSS THE STATE -INCLUDING OKLAHOMA CITY PUBLICSCHOOLS - IN THIS LAWSUIT.SOME GROUPS - LIKE THECOOPERATIVE COUNCIL FOR OKLAHOMASCH