Stitt, Paxton, Hilbert laud Oklahoma education-freedom ranking

Education

Ray Carter | January 28, 2025

Stitt, Paxton, Hilbert laud Oklahoma education-freedom ranking

Ray Carter

Oklahoma has been ranked one of the best states in the nation when it comes to educational freedom, providing greater opportunities for families to choose from a wide range of educational models and options for their children.

The ALEC Index of State Education Freedom, published by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), ranked Oklahoma fourth-best out of the 50 states.

“I hope we can eliminate the cap on our Parental Choice Tax Credit and give students more opportunity to learn in the environment that suits them best.” —Gov. Kevin Stitt

“We are in the midst of an educational renaissance in America. At the time of writing, a record 12 states are empowering (or will soon be empowering) every family and every student with education freedom,” wrote Andrew Handel, director of the Education and Workforce Development Task Force at the American Legislative Exchange Council. “These states recognize the unique needs of each student and that parents, not government bureaucrats, are best positioned to determine those needs and choose a school that best fits their student.”

State legislative leaders said the ranking reflects the great commitment made to educational opportunity in recent years in Oklahoma.

“It is great to see Oklahoma receive national recognition for having a student-centered vibrant education ecosystem of public, charter, private, and homeschool options that each serve our children in specific ways,” said House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow. “Oklahoma is poised to continue to put parents in the driver's seat and ensure our kids have the freedom to go to whatever school is best suited for them and their unique needs.”

“This recognition affirms Oklahoma’s commitment to putting parents and students first by expanding access to quality education,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle. “From empowering families with school choice to improving public education, our state is leading the way in ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive.”

“From empowering families with school choice to improving public education, our state is leading the way in ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive.” —Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton

The ALEC analysis examined each state’s charter school, homeschool, virtual school, and open enrollment laws, as well as programs that help offset the cost of alternative learning environments, like education scholarship accounts (ESAs), tax-credit scholarships, voucher programs, and more.

While Oklahoma ranked fourth overall, the state placed 14th for its education freedom programs that help families access private school, 13th for public charter schools, tied for first place in the homeschooling category, tied for third place in the virtual schooling category, and ranked first for open enrollment.

The Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit program provides refundable tax credits of $7,500 to $5,000 per child to pay for private school tuition. The size of the credit increases the lower a family’s income.

According to a recent report from the Oklahoma Tax Commission, those receiving the tax credit during its first year of operation included 7,815 children from families with incomes of $75,000 and below. Those students, as a group, exceed the enrollment total at each of the nearly 500 brick-and-mortar public school districts in Oklahoma. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 16 traditional public schools had enrollment greater than 7,815.

“Oklahoma is poised to continue to put parents in the driver's seat and ensure our kids have the freedom to go to whatever school is best suited for them and their unique needs.” —House Speaker Kyle Hilbert

Oklahoma’s rank on education freedom programs was lower than it would have otherwise been due to the cap on the state’s school-choice tax credit program. The program was capped at $150 million in its first year, and applications quickly exceeded the amount of funding, meaning thousands of families were denied access to the program. The cap is scheduled to increase to $250 million.

Gov. Kevin Stitt welcomed news of the state’s high ranking on the ALEC report but noted that the cap on the school choice tax credit has unnecessarily reduced opportunity for families and must be addressed.

“It’s encouraging to see Oklahoma climb towards the top of national school choice and education freedom rankings,” Stitt said. “Through our open transfer policies, elimination of zip-code barriers, and our parental choice tax credit, we've put parents in the driver’s seat of their child's education—and the country is taking notice. But there’s more to be done. I hope we can eliminate the cap on our Parental Choice Tax Credit and give students more opportunity to learn in the environment that suits them best.”

Ray Carter Director, Center for Independent Journalism

Ray Carter

Director, Center for Independent Journalism

Loading Next