More budget cuts will increase Oklahoma teacher-shortage crisis, state superintendent Joy Hofmeister says

State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister briefed the Senate Appropriations Committee on the agency’s budget and funding to school districts.

She said the state is in the midst of a “teacher shortage” crisis.

The State Department of Education had to give emergency certifications to 500 people to fill empty positions at schools, Hofmeister said. That means 500 people who do not have teaching degrees were in the classroom.

Currently, the state is about 1,000 teachers short, Hofmeister said. A 2 percent cut in funding would increase that figure to 1,781, while a 4 percent cut would raise it to 2,810 teachers short, she said.

A 2 percent cut would result in nearly $50 million less for education, while a 4 percent cut would be about $100 million less, she said.

At $44,128, Oklahoma ranks ahead of only Mississippi and South Dakota in average teacher pay. The national average is $56,383, according to information provided by the state Department of Education.

“I am not asking we have the average teacher compensation in the country,” Hofmeister said. “We can’t afford that.” But Oklahoma should be competitive with surrounding states, she said.

“We are losing people, and we are not keeping up,” she said. “This is a serious crisis we have.”

Hofmeister said she hoped to add five days to the school day and increase teacher salaries by $5,000 in five years.

A $1,000 salary increase would cost the state nearly $60 million, while adding one day to the school year would cost about $22.5 million, according to information provided by the agency.

Lawmakers expect to have $611 million less in crafting the fiscal year 2016 budget.

“As of today, everyone has to expect some sort of a cut,” said Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa.

He said he appreciates Hofmeister’s plan, adding that it is helpful to have it as a goal.

“You can never say never to implementing the plan,” Bingman said.