Bill to Increase Classroom Funding Passes Subcommittee
OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Chad Caldwell, R-Enid, on Wednesday passed legislation in committee that would require state public schools to spend at least 60% of their funding in the classroom. House Bill 1280 passed the House Appropriations & Budget Education Subcommittee, which Caldwell chairs. It now moves to full A&B. "This bill prioritizes our kids, our teachers, and our classrooms," Caldwell said. "For a child to excel academically, most of our school funding should go toward teachers and resources that directly contribute to student learning. It's why we send our children to school – to learn. I'm simply asking our school district leaders to do what makes logical sense and prioritize spending on classroom instruction." Caldwell stated that every education study he has read indicates the single most important factor in a child's academic success is having a quality teacher in the classroom. One of the main objectives of this measure is to raise teacher salaries. "In my 11 years as a legislator, we have passed several bills to improve teacher pay, and as a direct result of this bill, teachers are going to make more money," he said. "While raising pay for teachers is the most likely way for schools to increase instructional funding, there are other options as well.” "I'm disappointed, though not surprised, to learn that some district leaders opposed prioritizing students and higher pay for teachers by fighting against this bill,” he said. Since 2011, Oklahoma school district administration has grown by nearly 25%, while the state’s student population has increased by about 5% during that same period, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, a division of the U.S. Department of Education. Currently, the average classroom spending in the state is just under 58%, which suggests many public schools are nearing the threshold set by the bill. This measure aims to bring state schools closer to the national average, which is slightly below 62%. However, Caldwell noted that around 150 school districts in the state allocate less than 50% of their funding to classroom instruction. "Quite frankly, I cannot think of a legitimate reason why a district would need to spend less than half of their budget on the classroom where the majority of instruction takes place," Caldwell said. "As a state, we rank near the bottom in the country in percentage of classroom spending. However, some districts in the state have prioritized learning and are spending 65 percent to 70 percent in the classroom, so we know it can be done in Oklahoma. If other states can figure out how to do this on the whole, we can too." Caldwell stated the definition of instructional expenditures in the bill comes from the U.S. Department of Education. “That is important because it allows for a true apples-to-apples comparison," he said. "So, when we discuss instructional expenditures in Oklahoma, we're using the same criteria as they do in every other state." The measure does not consider other school staff—such as counselors, nurses, front desk personnel, cafeteria workers, and bus drivers—as classroom expenditures. While Caldwell, whose mother is a retired high school counselor, acknowledges that these employees are vital to school operations, he emphasized that no one would genuinely consider them actual classroom expenses. Those related costs will be accounted for in the remaining 40% of the school’s budget. “Classroom instruction must remain the priority for our schools,” he said.