Articles
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Education
Oklahoma Democrats call for more non-instructional spending in schools
In Oklahoma public schools, recent staffing growth has overwhelmingly occurred outside the teaching ranks. Yet two Democratic lawmakers recently made a case for additional administrators, behavioral specialists, and other support personnel.Ray Carter | September 22, 2026
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Education
Union urges teachers to oppose immigration enforcement
The National Education Association is urging educators to oppose federal immigration-enforcement policies and encouraging teachers to press their school districts to adopt policies governing how schools respond to immigration authorities.Ray Carter | September 21, 2026
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Education
Win-win: School choice is sending students to private schools—and freeing up dollars for public schools
Oklahoma’s expanding school-choice options are giving public schools greater financial flexibility while allowing families to choose the education that best fits their children.Jonathan Small | September 21, 2026
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Education
Oklahoma lawmakers urged to strengthen classroom discipline
In a recent interim study, supporters of stronger teacher protections told state lawmakers that Oklahoma should give educators greater authority to remove persistently disruptive students and protect teachers who enforce classroom rules.Ray Carter | September 17, 2026
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Local Government
Nashville’s commuter rail struggles raise questions about Oklahoma City’s $1.8 billion plan
Nashville’s nearly 20-year-old Music City Star commuter rail line offers a cautionary example for Oklahoma City as metro officials promote a $1.8 billion rail system connecting Edmond, Oklahoma City and Norman.Curtis Shelton | September 16, 2026
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Local Government
ONE Transit’s Texas rail success story doesn’t quite add up
As ONE Transit promotes its proposed $1.8 billion commuter rail system by pointing to Grapevine, Texas, as a model of rail-driven economic development, analysts say the cited numbers do not establish that the train generated significant new economic activity.Ray Carter | September 15, 2026
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Education
Oklahoma schools with sky-high per-student funding are sitting on millions in reserves—and aren’t necessarily producing the highest academic results
Forty-one Oklahoma school districts receive no state aid because of their substantial local revenues. Could some of these districts put more of their available resources toward teacher compensation and/or property-tax rebates?Ray Carter | September 15, 2026
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Law & Principles
Judges and property taxes: What Oklahoma voters should know about SQ 845 and SQ 847
Oklahoma voters will decide on two proposed constitutional amendments on Nov. 3, 2026. State Question 845 would alter the composition and eligibility requirements of the Judicial Nominating Commission. State Question 847 would limit annual increases in property valuations while expanding property-tax protections for seniors.Staff | September 15, 2026
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Education, Higher Education
SPLC challenged Oklahoma’s anti-racism law. Then it faced federal charges over alleged payments to people tied to extremist groups
Oklahoma’s HB 1775 restricts public-school employees from teaching eight specified concepts about race and sex, prompting legal challenges—including one from the Southern Poverty Law Center, which now faces separate federal charges over alleged payments to people associated with extremist groups.Ray Carter | September 15, 2026
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Higher Education
Oklahoma college students lean left despite state’s conservative politics
Oklahoma’s college campuses are considerably more liberal than the state’s electorate, according to new data from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).Ray Carter | September 14, 2026