Gov. Stitt Voices Support For Statewide Charter School Board

The US Department of Education recently proposed changes to their Charter School Program requirements that some Oklahoma leaders do not support.  

One of the changes is that charter schools that would be substantially or completely managed by a for-profit management group will no longer be eligible for federal startup or expansion funds.  

“New regulations…would keep for-profit companies from using that federal money to start up charter schools with profits in mind,” said Sherri Brown, Parent Legislative Action Committee legislative chair.  

The new regulations are supported by the Parent Legislative Action Committee. 

“In Oklahoma, we’ve had some of our own issues with charter schools. EPIC and Seeworth Academy,” said Brown.  

Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor released a letter saying he would push back against the new federal changes.  

In a letter, he cited two key issues with the program changes – a new requirement for a community impact analysis and the proposed priority for charter schools that partner with local districts.  

This comes as Governor Kevin Stitt tweeted out support for the attorney general’s letter and support for an Oklahoma Senate bill that would create a statewide charter school authorizing board. 

SB 1621 – authored by Senate education chair Adam Pugh, passed through the Common Education committee last Tuesday – with a new author – Representative Sheila Dills.  

This was the same day that her charter school management bill - HB 4633 - that sought to tighten up regulations on charter schools, failed to get a hearing in the Senate education committee.  

The measure had passed unanimously in both the House Chamber and the House Common Education Committee.  

Last Tuesday, Representative Dills said she would be working to make SB 1621 a better bill – the legislation does not have a title and is still in the works.   

News 9 talked to Senator Pugh earlier this session about this bill and what he hopes it will accomplish. 

Pugh said he hopes it would prevent situations like the mismanagement of funds by EPIC charter schools from happening again.