School Administrators Discuss Oklahoma Budget Shortfall

Public school funding in Oklahoma could take a $55 million hit because of the state’s projected revenue shortfall.

School administrators from across the state packed a room at Northeastern State University's Broken Arrow campus to figure out where to cut an already lean budget.

Most of the superintendents already working with lean budgets and overcrowded classrooms have to, once again, make budget cuts to keep their districts operating through the rest of the school year.

State budget experts are worried about another year of cuts to school funding.

"I fear we're beginning to have real negative effects on children and future generations," said Steve Crawford of the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration.

Crawford is telling school districts to start saving now.

He says state funding to education could be cut by $55 million.

"Because it looks like, I would say if we get cuts this Spring, we'll sure get cuts next year in our budget," he said.

That kind of cut would mean a half-million dollar hole in Muskogee Public School's budget,” Muskogee Public Schools’ Mike Garde said. "It becomes really tough now because we've already made all of the cuts we thought were out there, the ones that were clear to us and we do not feel comfortable enlarging our class sizes any more than we already got them."

Lawmakers are worried about the cuts in their districts.

On top of the dealing with a tight budget, they also want to make teacher pay more competitive.

State Senator Wayne Shaw (R-Grove) doesn't want to see more teachers leave the state.

“I basically go spend a day in each of my schools and I've talked to them and talked to students and teachers, administrators, and they're hanging on by the skin of their teeth," Shaw said.

State leaders say lower energy prices are hurting the budget while others say cuts in state taxes also are to blame.

The state also must find money to pay the rising cost of healthcare benefits for teachers.