With more than one-third of public school districts suing the Oklahoma State Board of Education, it demonstrates a united front against a decision that would shift tens of millions of dollars to charter schools.
The tidal wave of opposition ought to make the board’s majority reconsider its vote and how it governs the children they represent.
Nearly 200 local school boards made the difficult choice to challenge the state board over its 4-3 vote to reallocate tax distribution to charter schools, both virtual and brick-and-mortar. The districts asked the Oklahoma Supreme Court last week for a declaratory judgment to stop implementation on July 1.
In 2017, the Oklahoma Public Charter School Association filed a lawsuit arguing that its schools deserve an equal share of revenues from the state’s gross production, motor vehicle and rural electrification association tax collections, state school land earnings and county tax collections.
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Oklahoma laws are set up for charters to be sponsored by a public district. Funding from local property taxes and a district’s general and building funds were not accessible to its charters, which are typically founded as nonprofits.
Against the advice of the education department’s legal counsel and Superintendent Joy Hofmeister, the board’s majority voted in agreement with the charter school association.
Tulsa and Oklahoma City districts have the most to lose because they sponsor most of the state’s charter schools, but statewide online charter schools extend the funding threat to all districts. The move puts traditional districts in competition with its charters over limited available funds.
State board members voting in favor were Trent Smith, Estela Hernandez, Brian Bobek and Jennifer Monies.
A court will determine whether the board has the power to redistribute taxes in this way. Other pending legal challenges are allegations the state board violated the open meeting laws and conflicts of interest on the issue.
Regardless of the legal outcome, it is not in the state’s interest to have so many districts at odds with the state’s governing board.
State education board members make difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions. But, to be so out of sync with so many school leaders indicates a troubling fundamental schism.
We hope the board members can listen more to public school officials and find common ground to avoid these types of costly lawsuits.
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Wayne Greene reads the Tulsa World’s March 28 editorial: “Breaches of faith”
