May 15, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Christy Watson
Communications Director
christyW@ossba.org | 405.821.3209

Statement from OSSBA Executive Director Shawn Hime on Budget Agreement

“I commend Gov. Stitt and legislators for delivering on their promise to again increase the state’s investment in our children, our teachers and their schools. 

The new money will provide schools approximately $190 more per student next school year, empowering local education leaders to take important actions we know are good for students: increase teacher pay, hire teachers to lower class sizes, add counselors, restore academic and extracurricular programs and expand mental health services. The proposed $1,220 teacher pay raise will help strengthen the teacher pipeline, enable districts to retain top talent and better position districts to compete for teachers with other states and the private sector. 

When today’s proposal of a $157.7 million funding increase is finalized, public school funding will have increased by $638 million over a two-year period. That’s an extraordinary accomplishment that will benefit Oklahoma’s schoolchildren for years to come. 

I strongly believe investing in public education is the best form of economic development, and this agreement is a great step toward our goal of reaching the regional average in education investment.”

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