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“Under current law, schools are prohibited from using a portion of school-dedicated property tax revenue on anything other than building-related expenses,” OCPA distinguished fellow Andrew Spiropoulos writes. SQ 801 “amends the state constitution to provide school districts increased authority to use property tax revenue to fund school operations.”

Total Gross Receipts were up 11% and General Revenue Fund collections grew 16.1% in fiscal year 2018 compared to the year before. And, revenue from income and sales taxes continued to grow throughout the year.

The University of Oklahoma is kicking off a national search for an associate vice president of university community.

Incredibly, only 22 African-American senior boys were college-ready in Tulsa Public Schools in 2015. With the help of Oklahoma’s tax-credit scholarship program, a private school in north Tulsa is tackling the problem head-on.

Oklahoma City Public Schools announced that the raises due to all certified and support personnel would be delayed until September because “we felt it was important to work closely with our union partners in the interpretation and implementation of the statutes.”

After Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin issued an election proclamation that places State Question 801 on the November ballot, Jonathan Small, president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA), made the this statement.

We continue to see news stories about emergency certifications for teachers who didn’t take the traditional certification route to get a teaching license. But are we getting the full story?

Politicos in Oklahoma, and across the country, should stop bending the facts to meet their needs.

When state government spends federal dollars, it seems like “free” money. After all, state legislators did not impose the taxes. Legislators and other state officials are much less likely to be held accountable for how that money gets spent. Federal officials, on the other hand, can blame the state if the money is poorly used. Nobody is ever on the hook. For taxpayers, this system is a nightmare, but for politicians, it’s perfect.

OCPA distinguished fellow Andrew Spiropoulos reminds us that FDR compared welfare to a narcotic that saps self-respect and erodes the human spirit.