Oklahoma Senate Bill SB709

Oklahoma 2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/6/23
• Refer: 2/7/23

Caption

State Aid; directing school districts that qualify for certain weight to use funds for certain purpose. Effective date. Emergency.

Impact

The changes proposed in SB709 are designed to create a more equitable approach to funding across various school districts, particularly those with varying levels of average daily membership. Notably, the bill establishes that the weighted calculations will be based on the higher weighted average daily membership from either the current or previous school year. Additionally, districts experiencing significant drops in membership are afforded a tailored calculation to prevent their financial resources from drastically diminishing.

Summary

Senate Bill 709 focuses on the distribution of state aid to school districts in Oklahoma. It amends existing legislation to dictate how weighted membership is calculated for schools when determining their eligibility for foundation aid and salary incentive aid. This bill specifies that school funding calculations should include weighted assessments across multiple categories, including pupil grade level, pupil category, district calculations, and teacher experience and degree metrics, starting from the 2020-2021 school year.

Contention

The most significant point of contention arises from how the bill mandates that school districts qualifying for specific weight categories, such as 'bilingual' pupils, must direct funds received towards professional development for teachers instructing in English as a second language. Some argue that this restriction may limit the flexibility of districts in using the aid to meet diverse educational needs and challenges they face. Furthermore, concerns were raised about the potential impact on less populated districts that could struggle under new funding criteria, especially if they do not meet the thresholds set by the weighted calculations.