SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB797 SFLR Page 1
(Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
SENATE FLOOR VERSION
February 25, 2025
SENATE BILL NO. 797 By: Pugh
An Act relating to the State Board of Education;
amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section 3 -104, as last amended
by Section 2, Chapter 445, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp.
2024, Section 3-104), which relates to the powers and
duties of the State Board of Education; requiring
electronic submission of certain report; authorizing
the Board to revoke or suspend a certificate only for
certain reasons; prohibiting the Board from summarily
revoking or suspending a certificate prior to certain
proceeding or other action; requiring notification
prior to certain action; requiring the Board to take
certain action within certain time period; updating
statutory references; providing an effective date;
and declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 3 -104, as
last amended by Section 2, Chapter 445, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp.
2024, Section 3-104), is amended to read as follows:
Section 3-104. A. The supervision of the public school system
of Oklahoma shall be vested in the State Board of Education and,
subject to limitations otherwise provided by law, the State Board of
Education shall:
SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB797 SFLR Page 2
(Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
1. Adopt policies and make rules for the operation of the
public school system of the state;
2. Appoint, prescribe the duties, and fix the compensation of a
secretary, an attorney, and all other personnel necessary for the
proper performance of the functions of the State B oard of Education.
The secretary shall not be a member of the Board;
3. Submit to the Governor a departmental budget based upon
major functions of the State Department of Education as prepared by
the Superintendent of Public Instruction and supported by detailed
data on needs and proposed operations as partially determined by the
budgetary needs of local school districts filed with the State Board
of Education for the ensuing fiscal year. Appropriations therefor
shall be made in lump -sum form for each ma jor item in the budget as
follows:
a. State Aid to schools,
b. the supervision of all other functions of general and
special education including general control, free
textbooks, school lunch, Indian education, and all
other functions of the Board and an am ount sufficient
to adequately staff and administer these services, and
c. the Board shall determine the details by which the
budget and the appropriations are administered.
Annually, the Board shall make preparations to
consolidate all of the functions of the Department in
SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB797 SFLR Page 3
(Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
such a way that the budget can be based on two items,
administration and aid to schools. A maximum amount
for administration shall be designated as a part of
the total appropriation;
4. On the first day of December preceding each regul ar session
of the Legislature, prepare and deliver electronically to the
Governor and the Legislature a report for the year ending June 30
immediately preceding the regular session of the Legislature. The
report shall contain:
a. detailed statistics and o ther information concerning
enrollment, attendance, expenditures including State
Aid, and other pertinent data for all public schools
in this state,
b. reports from each and every division within the State
Department of Education as submitted by the
Superintendent of Public Instruction and any other
division, department, institution, or other agency
under the supervision of the Board,
c. recommendations for the improvement of the public
school system of the state,
d. a statement of the receipts and expendit ures of the
State Board of Education for the past year, and
e. a statement of plans and recommendations for the
management and improvement of public schools and such
SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB797 SFLR Page 4
(Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
other information relating to the educational
interests of the state as may be deemed nece ssary and
desirable;
5. Provide for the formulation and adoption of curricula,
courses of study, and other instructional aids necessary for the
adequate instruction of pupils in the public schools;
6. Have authority in matters pertaining to the licensure and
certification of persons for instructional, supervisory, and
administrative positions and services in the public schools of the
state subject to the provisions of Section 6 -184 of this title, and
shall formulate rules governing the issuance and revoca tion of
certificates for superintendents of schools, principals,
supervisors, librarians, clerical employees, school nurses, school
bus drivers, visiting teachers, classroom teachers, and for other
personnel performing instructional, administrative, and su pervisory
services, but not including members of boards of education and other
employees who do not work directly with pupils, and may charge and
collect reasonable fees for the issuance of such certificates:
a. the State Department of Education shall not issue a
certificate to and shall revoke the certificate of any
person who has been convicted, whether upon a verdict
or plea of guilty or upon a plea of nolo contendere,
or received a suspended sentence or any probationary
term for a crime or an attempt to commit a crime
SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB797 SFLR Page 5
(Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
provided for in Section 843.5 of Title 21 of the
Oklahoma Statutes if the offense involved sexual abuse
or sexual exploitation as those terms are defined in
Section 1-1-105 of Title 10A of the Oklahoma Statutes,
Section 741, 843.1, if the o ffense included sexual
abuse or sexual exploitation, 865 et seq., 885, 888,
891, 1021, 1021.2, 1021.3, 1040.13a, 1087, 1088,
1111.1, 1114, or 1123 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma
Statutes or who enters this state and who has been
convicted, received a suspende d sentence, or received
a deferred judgment for a crime or attempted crime
which, if committed or attempted in this state, would
be a crime or an attempt to commit a crime provided
for in any of the laws, and
b. except as provided for in subparagraph a of this
paragraph, the State Board of Education shall have the
authority to revoke or suspend a certificate only for
the following reasons:
(1) a willful violation of any federal or state law,
(2) the abuse or neglect of a child,
(3) moral turpitude,
(4) incompetency in the performance of duty, or
(5) neglect of any professional duty.
SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB797 SFLR Page 6
(Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
The State Board of Education shall not have the
authority to summarily revoke or suspend a certificate
prior to an individual proceeding for revocation or
other action. The State Board of Education shall
notify a teacher and his or her employing school
district at least five (5) days prior to taking action
to suspend or revoke a certificate. The Board shall
take action to suspend or revoke the certificate
within sixty (60) days after notification has been
provided, and
c. all funds collected by the State Department of
Education for the issuance of certificates to
instructional, supervisory, and administrative
personnel in the public schools of the state shall be
deposited in the “Teachers’ Certification Fund” in the
State Treasury and may be expended by the State Board
of Education to finance the activities of the State
Department of Education necessary to administer the
program, for consultative services, publication costs,
actual and necessary travel expenses as provided in
the State Travel Reimbursement Act incurred by persons
performing research work, and other expenses found
necessary by the State Board of Education for the
improvement of the preparation and certification of
SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB797 SFLR Page 7
(Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
teachers in this state. Provided, any unobligated
balance in the Teachers ’ Certification Fund in excess
of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) on June 30 of any
fiscal year shall be transferred to the General
Revenue Fund of this state. Until July 1, 1997, the
State Board of Education shall have authority for
approval of teacher education programs. The State
Board of Education shall also have authority for the
administration of teacher residency and professional
development, subject to the provisions of the Oklahoma
Teacher Preparation Act;
7. Promulgate rules governing the classification, inspection,
supervision, and accrediting of all public nursery, kindergarten,
elementary and secondary schools, and on -site educational services
provided by public school districts or state-accredited private
schools in partial hospitalization programs, day treatment programs,
and day hospital programs as defined in this section, Section 3-
104.7 of this title, and Section 603.4 175.20 of Title 10 of the
Oklahoma Statutes for persons between the ages of three (3) and
twenty-one (21) years of age in the state. However, no school shall
be denied accreditation solely on the basis of average daily
attendance.
Any school district which maintains an elementary school and
faces the necessity of relocating its school facilities because of
SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB797 SFLR Page 8
(Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
construction of a lake, either by state or federal authority, which
will inundate the school facilities, shall be entitled to receive
probationary accreditation from the State Board of Education fo r a
period of five (5) years after June 12, 1975, and any school
district, otherwise qualified, shall be entitled to receive
probationary accreditation from the State Board of Education for a
period of two (2) consecutive years to attain the minimum averag e
daily attendance. The Head Start and public nurseries or
kindergartens operated from community action agency funds shall not
be subjected to the accrediting rules of the State Board of
Education. Neither will the State Board of Education make rules
affecting the operation of the public nurseries and kindergartens
operated from federal funds secured through community action
agencies even though they may be operating in the public schools of
the state. However, any of the Head Start or public nurseries o r
kindergartens operated under federal regulations may make
application for accrediting from the State Board of Education but
will be accredited only if application for the approval of the
programs is made. The status of no school district shall be change d
which will reduce it to a lower classification until due notice has
been given to the proper authorities thereof and an opportunity
given to correct the conditions which otherwise would be the cause
of such reduction.
SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB797 SFLR Page 9
(Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
Private and parochial schools may be accredited and classified
in like manner as public schools or, if an accrediting association
is approved by the State Board of Education, by procedures
established by the State Board of Education to accept accreditation
by such accrediting association, if application is made to the State
Board of Education for such accrediting;
8. Be the legal agent of this state to accept, in its
discretion, the provisions of any Act of Congress appropriating or
apportioning funds which are now, or may hereafter be, prov ided for
use in connection with any phase of the system of public education
in Oklahoma. It shall prescribe such rules as it finds necessary to
provide for the proper distribution of such funds in accordance with
the state and federal laws;
9. Be and is specifically hereby designated as the agency of
this state to cooperate and deal with any officer, board, or
authority of the United States Government under any law of the
United States which may require or recommend cooperation with any
state board having charge of the administration of public schools
unless otherwise provided by law;
10. Be and is hereby designated as the “State Educational
Agency” state educational agency referred to in Public Law 396 of
the 79th Congress of the United States, as amended, which law states
that the act may be cited known as the “National Richard B. Russell
National School Lunch Act” Act, and the State Board of Education is
SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB797 SFLR Page 10
(Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
hereby authorized and directed to accept the terms and provisions of
the act and to enter into such agreements, not in conflict with the
Constitution of Oklahoma or the Constitution and Statutes of the
United States, as may be necessary or appropriate to secure for this
state the benefits of the school lunch program established and
referred to in the act ;
11. Have authority to secure and administer the benefits of the
Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, Public Law 396 of the
79th Congress of the United States, as amended, in this state and is
hereby authorized to employ or appoint and fix the c ompensation of
such additional officers or employees and to incur such expenses as
may be necessary for the accomplishment of the above purpose, and
administer the distribution of any state funds appropriated by the
Legislature required as federal matching to reimburse on children’s
meals;
12. Accept and provide for the administration of any land,
money, buildings, gifts, donation donations, or other things of
value which may be offered or bequeathed to the schools under the
supervision or control of the B oard;
13. Have authority to require persons having administrative
control of all school districts in Oklahoma to make such regular and
special reports regarding the activities of the schools in the
districts as the Board may deem needful for the proper ex ercise of
its duties and functions. Such authority shall include the right of
SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB797 SFLR Page 11
(Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
the State Board of Education to withhold all state funds under its
control, to withhold official recognition including accrediting,
until such required reports have been filed a nd accepted in the
office of the Board and to revoke the certificates of persons
failing or refusing to make such reports;
14. Have general supervision of the school lunch program. The
State Board of Education may sponsor workshops for personnel and
participants in the school lunch program and may develop, print, and
distribute free of charge or sell any materials, books, and
bulletins to be used in the school lunch programs. There is hereby
created in the State Treasury a revolving fund for the Board, t o be
designated the “School Lunch Workshop Revolving Fund ”. The fund
shall consist of all fees derived from or on behalf of any
participant in any such workshop sponsored by the State Board of
Education, or from the sale of any materials, books, and bulle tins,
and funds shall be disbursed for expenses of such workshops and for
developing, printing, and distributing of the materials, books, and
bulletins relating to the school lunch program. The fund shall be
administered in accordance with Section 155 of Title 62 of the
Oklahoma Statutes;
15. Prescribe all forms for school district and county officers
to report to the State Board of Education where required. The State
Board of Education shall also prescribe a list of appropriation
accounts by which the f unds of school districts shall be budgeted,
SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB797 SFLR Page 12
(Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
accounted for, and expended; and it shall be the duty of the State
Auditor and Inspector in prescribing all budgeting, accounting, and
reporting forms for school funds to conform to such lists;
16. Provide for the establishment of a uniform system of pupil
and personnel accounting, records, and reports;
17. Have authority to provide for the health and safety of
school children and school personnel while under the jurisdiction of
school authorities;
18. Provide for the supervision of the transportation of
pupils;
19. Have authority, upon request of the local school board, to
act in behalf of the public schools of the state in the purchase of
transportation equipment;
20. Have authority and is hereby required to perform all duties
necessary to the administration of the public school system in
Oklahoma as specified in the Oklahoma School Code; and, in addition
thereto, those duties not specifically mentioned herein if not
delegated by law to any other agency or of ficial;
21. Administer the State Public Common School Building
Equalization Fund established by Section 32 of Article X of the
Oklahoma Constitution. Any monies as may be appropriated or
designated by the Legislature, other than ad valorem taxes, any
other funds identified by the State Department of Education, which
may include, but not be limited to, grants -in-aid from the federal
SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB797 SFLR Page 13
(Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
government for building purposes, the proceeds of all property that
shall fall to the state by escheat, penalties for unlawfu l holding
of real estate by corporations, and capital gains on assets of the
permanent school funds, shall be deposited in the State Public
Common School Building Equalization Fund. The fund shall be used to
aid school districts and charter schools in acq uiring buildings,
subject to the limitations fixed by Section 32 of Article X of the
Oklahoma Constitution. It is hereby declared that redbud school
grants disbursed from the State Public Common School Building
Equalization Fund shall be used for the same purposes as a building
fund, as provided for in Section 1 -118 of this title. It is hereby
declared that the term “school districts” as used in Section 32 of
Article X of the Oklahoma Constitution shall mean school districts
and eligible charter schools a s defined in subsection B of this
section. The State Board of Education shall disburse redbud school
grants annually from the State Public Common School Building
Equalization Fund to public schools and eligible charter schools
pursuant to subsection B of this section. The Board shall
promulgate rules for the implementation of disbursing redbud school
grants pursuant to this section. The State Board of Education shall
prescribe rules for making grants of aid from, and for otherwise
administering, the fund pursuant to the provisions of this
paragraph, and may employ and fix the duties and compensation of
technicians, aides, clerks, stenographers, attorneys, and other
SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB797 SFLR Page 14
(Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
personnel deemed necessary to carry out the provisions of this
paragraph. The cost of admi nistering the fund shall be paid from
monies appropriated to the State Board of Education for the
operation of the State Department of Education. From monies
apportioned to the fund, the State Department of Education may
reserve not more than one -half of one percent (1/2 of 1%) for
purposes of administering the fund;
22. Recognize that the Director of the Department of
Corrections shall be the administrative authority for the schools
which are maintained in the state reformatories and shall appoint
the principals and teachers in such schools. Provided, that rules
of the State Board of Education for the classification, inspection,
and accreditation of public schools shall be applicable to such
schools; and such schools shall comply with standards set by th e
State Board of Education; and
23. Have authority to administer a revolving fund which is
hereby created in the State Treasury, to be designated the
“Statistical Services Revolving Fund ”. The fund shall consist of
all monies received from the various sc hool districts of the state,
the United States Government, and other sources for the purpose of
furnishing or financing statistical services and for any other
purpose as designated by the Legislature. The State Board of
Education is hereby authorized to e nter into agreements with school
districts, municipalities, the United States Government,
SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB797 SFLR Page 15
(Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
foundations, and other agencies or individuals for services,
programs, or research projects. The Statistical Services Revolving
Fund shall be administered in accorda nce with Section 155 of Title
62 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
B. 1. The redbud school grants shall be determined by the
State Department of Education as follows:
a. divide the county four -mill levy revenue by four to
determine the nonchargeable county four -mill revenue
for each school district,
b. determine the amount of new revenue generated by the
five-mill building fund levy as authorized by Section
10 of Article X of the Oklahoma Constitution for each
school district as reported in the Oklahoma Cost
Accounting System for the preceding fiscal year,
c. add the amounts calculated in subparagraphs a and b of
this paragraph to determine the nonchargeable millage
for each school district,
d. add the nonchargeable millage in each district
statewide as calculated in subparagraph c of this
paragraph and divide the total by the average daily
membership in public schools statewide based on the
preceding school year ’s average daily membership,
according to the provisions of Section 18 -107 of this
title. This amount i s the statewide nonchargeable
SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB797 SFLR Page 16
(Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
millage per student, known as the baseline local
funding per student,
e. all eligible charter schools shall be included in
these calculations as unique school districts,
separate from the school district that may sponsor the
eligible charter school, and the total number of
districts shall be used to determine the statewide
average baseline local funding per student,
f. for each school district or eligible charter school
which is below the baseline local funding per student,
the Department shall subtract the baseline local
funding per student from the average nonchargeable
millage per student of the school district or eligible
charter school to determine the nonchargeable millage
per student shortfall for each district, and
g. the nonchargeable millage per student shortfall for a
school district or eligible charter school shall be
multiplied by the average daily membership of the
preceding school year of the eligible school district
or eligible charter school. This amount shall b e the
redbud school grant amount for the school district or
eligible charter school.
2. For fiscal year 2022, monies for the redbud school grants
shall be expended from the funds apportioned pursuant to Section 426
SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB797 SFLR Page 17
(Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
of Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes. F or fiscal year 2023 and each
subsequent fiscal year, monies for the redbud school grants shall be
appropriated pursuant to Section 426 of Title 63 of the Oklahoma
Statutes, not to exceed three -fourths (3/4) of the tax collected in
the preceding fiscal year pursuant to Section 426 of Title 63 of the
Oklahoma Statutes as determined by the Oklahoma Tax Commission. For
fiscal year 2023 and each subsequent fiscal year, if such
appropriated funds are insufficient to fund the redbud school
grants, then an additio nal apportionment of funds shall be made from
sales tax collections as provided by subsection D of Section 1353 of
Title 68 of the Oklahoma Statutes. If both funds are insufficient,
the Department shall promulgate rules to permit a decrease to the
baseline local funding per student to the highest amount allowed
with the funding available.
3. As used in this section, “eligible charter school ” shall
mean a charter school which is sponsored pursuant to the provisions
of the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act. Pro vided, however, eligible
charter school shall not include a statewide virtual charter school
sponsored by the Statewide Charter School Board but shall only
include those which provide in -person or blended instruction, as
provided by Section 1 -111 of this title, to not less than two-thirds
(2/3) of students as the primary means of instructional service
delivery.
SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB797 SFLR Page 18
(Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
4. The Department shall develop a program to acknowledge the
redbud school grant recipients and shall include elected members of
the House of Representatives and Senate who represent the school
districts and eligible charter schools.
5. The Department shall create a dedicated page on its website
listing annual redbud school grant recipients, amount awarded to
each recipient, and other pertinent info rmation about the Redbud
School Funding Act.
6. The Department shall provide the chair of the House
Appropriations and Budget Committee and the chair of the Senate
Appropriations Committee no later than February 1 of each year with
an estimate of the upco ming year’s redbud school grant allocation as
prescribed by this section.
SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.
SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
February 25, 2025 - DO PASS