Oklahoma House Republicans unveil teacher pay raise, school choice plans

The plan units apart $150 million to supply across-the-board teacher pay raises of $2,500 to educators within the classroom within the 2023-2024 school yr.

Now, Republicans in each chambers of the Oklahoma Legislature have proposed across-the-board teacher pay raises, bucking calls from Gov. Kevin Stitt and State Superintendent Ryan Walters for merit-based teacher pay raises.

GOP Sen. Adam Pugh, who chairs the Senate Education Committee, desires to offer all teacher a pay bump of $3,000 to $6,000 primarily based on their years of expertise. Pugh’s proposed pay raises could be tied to the state minimal wage schedule for academics, however the pay raises included in McCall’s House Bill 2775 wouldn’t. 

Under House Republicans’ plan, one other $300 million would be distributed on a per-pupil foundation decided by a school’s common day by day membership of scholars. Every district would obtain extra funding, however no district would obtain greater than a $2 million enhance, McCall mentioned.

The proposal additionally units apart a further $50 million to be distributed in keeping with the Redbud School Funding Act, which supplies grants to brick-and-mortar districts that obtain below-average native tax {dollars} for development and upkeep of school amenities.

McCall’s HB 2775 would additionally create the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit Program. Parents could be eligible to obtain a tax credit score of $5,000 a yr for every baby enrolled in a personal school. Parents of homeschool college students could be eligible for a tax credit score of as much as $2,500 per baby every year.

The key distinction between the tax credit score and school vouchers is that the previous wouldn’t draw cash away from public schooling, mentioned McCall, who has been crucial of voucher proposals up to now. 

“With a tax credit, with this method, you’re not harming the appropriated money for education,” he mentioned. “You’re not drawing from those appropriations.” 

McCall mentioned the tax credit score may value the state as much as $300 million every year. That estimate is predicated on if the dad and mom of each present non-public school and homeschool pupil claimed the credit score, he mentioned. 

Parents could be required to supply proof of personal school enrollment or different schooling bills with the intention to declare the tax credit score, McCall mentioned. 

“The state’s not passing out checks,” he mentioned. 

McCall mentioned his plan will try and fast-track the credit score for households who can’t afford to entrance the prices of personal school tuition. Upon proof of enrollment in a personal school, households may request from the Oklahoma Tax Commission an advance on the tax credit score, as much as $2,500 per semester inside 60 days of submitting the requisite paperwork. 

The tax credit could be tied to the brand new base degree of widespread schooling funding. If the Oklahoma Legislature cuts public schooling funding sooner or later, the tax credit could be suspended, McCall mentioned. 

This is a breaking news story and will probably be up to date.