With lawmakers halfway through Oklahoma’s 2025 legislative session, it’s a good time to review what proposals remain alive and where they stand along the pathway to final passage. In terms of education bills being considered by the Oklahoma Legislature, efforts exist to improve the state’s teacher shortage, move local school board elections on the calendar and implement statewide cell phone restrictions in public schools.
Now that the Senate and House have received measures from each other, Senate Education Committee Chairman Adam Pugh said during an April 5 interview that he is “still evaluating” the dozens of education bills that were sent his way before the March 27 deadline.
“I want to learn what their priorities are,” said Pugh (R-Edmond). “There are some things where there’s a shared agreement. We may have just some differences in language of one version versus the other, but there’s definitely some shared agreement there in what they want to accomplish this year. (…) What are those bills that are going to be important to House members?”
Of course, plenty of education bills failed to advance beyond the year’s first two deadlines. In the House, members roundly rejected House Education Oversight Committee Chairman Chad Caldwell’s HB 1280, which would have required school districts to “spend no less than 50 percent of its annual budget on instructional expenditures.” The proposal by Caldwell (R-Enid) failed 36-57.
Meanwhile, owing to the year’s budget realities, Pugh’s SB 201 to raise the starting salary for all Oklahoma teachers to $50,000 did not even reach the Senate floor.
“We know we’re losing teachers on the eastern border of our state,” Pugh said. “We know that it’s a constantly evolving labor market, and it’s competitive. And as other states around us react to that market, we have to as well, and we even need to be proactive on not trying to play catch up all the time. So if you go multiple years without a teacher pay raise, then you find yourself playing catch up, and that’s really hard. So I’m always going to be talking about teacher pay, because I just think it’s that important.”
Because 2025 marks the first year of the two-year 60th Oklahoma Legislature, Pugh’s SB 201 will be eligible for consideration in 2026. However, its massive price tag — $640 million — means other measures may have sturdier legs. In the meantime, Pugh and the Senate have sent SB 409 to the House, which would require public school districts to add an additional day of instruction each year that State Board of Education appropriations increase by at least $25 million.
Married to a career educator, Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton (R-Tuttle) said during a March 27 press availability that one of his “top priorities” involves increasing the number of instructional days per year in Oklahoma public schools. To make his point, Paxton said that a student with perfect attendance in Oklahoma would be considered “chronically absent” by the standards of Texas and Kansas.
“Quite simply, we are not putting kids in classrooms enough. They need to be sitting face-to-face with our qualified teachers — who do a wonderful job — to make sure they get educated. There’s just no way around that,” Paxton said. “If you’re not in a classroom, you’re not going to be educated. And we are one of the worst states — if not the worst state in the entire nation — in terms of how many days our kids go to school. So that has become one of my top priorities.”
During his press conference the same day, House Speaker Kyle Hilbert (R-Bristow) cited HB 1087 as a an education priority for his chamber.
“We’ve passed legislation extending teacher pay salary schedules from 25 year to 35 years,” Hilbert said of HB 1087, which has had its title struck similar to SB 409. “It’s been long discussed that once you are teaching for 25 years, there are no longer any mandatory pay raises currently in statute.”
The following bills — some highlighted in sections and others presented as a broader list — remain alive for consideration this session. In legislative terms, a bill with a “title” that has been “struck” or “stricken” faces a slightly longer path to becoming law than a bill considered a “live round.” By amending a bill to strike or remove its title, a legislative chamber guarantees it will have another chance to vote on the measure before it is sent to the governor. A bill with a stricken title must be amended to restore that title, which ensures further consideration after final language is negotiated between chambers and among stakeholders.
To see which bills end up on each chamber’s respective committee agendas, start by keeping tabs on the House Budget Subcommittee on Education (10:30 a.m. Monday) and the Senate Education Committee (10 a.m. Tuesday).
Should cell phones be banned from ‘bell-to-bell’ in school?
The concept of banning cell phones in schools from “bell to bell” has been extensively discussed since last session when the proposal failed to advance in the Senate. However, after a September executive order, an October interim study, and a further endorsement of the idea during Gov. Kevin Stitt’s State of the State address, both chambers have advanced versions of a cell phone ban this session.
SB 139 by Senate Education Committee Vice Chairwoman Ally Seifried would require every public school district to pass a “bell-to-bell” cell phone ban for the 2025-2026 school year. For subsequent school years, such a ban would be optional. HB 1276 by Caldwell provides much of the same requirements, although broader language for exemptions is included.
“This is actually a really simple solution, but I think the implementation is difficult, as we’ve shown over the last year,” Seifried (R-Claremore) said during an Oct. 22 interim study. “There are a lot of different takes on how to best get cell phones out of the classroom, but I’ve been really encouraged that the consensus has generally been it’s time to get them out of the classroom. (…) And I think more times than not, the students recognize that there is an issue that they see what happens to their friends and how it affects their learning, but they don’t know how to solve it, so that’s why we’re here.”
Both bills were sent to their opposite chambers with their titles on, so each is a live round. Which might move first is hard to say, but a joint press conference between the chambers upon final passage could be likely.
“They are different,” Pugh said of the versions. “I think there’s certainly momentum and consensus that something needs to be done. We’ll work on that over the next six to eight weeks — over what that something is — but there certainly is a lot of consensus.”
When should Oklahomans vote for school board seats?
As Oklahoma’s local school board elections wrapped up April 1, Seifried’s SB 6 would modify school board elections to align more closely with the state’s general and primary election dates in an effort to address voter participation. Currently, school board candidates file in December, face a February primary if necessary and an April general election.
Under SB 6, in even-numbered years, school board primary elections would occur on the August statewide runoff date, with the general elections following on the November statewide ballots. In odd-numbered years, the primary election for school board seats would occur on the second Tuesday in September, with the general elections occurring on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
“Voter turnout in local school board elections is alarmingly low because these contests are held outside Oklahoma’s traditional election cycle,” Seifried said in a March 12 press release. “SB 6 will increase the number of candidates running for these key positions and, more importantly, boost voter participation in these pivotal races. School board decisions shape the future of public education across our state and determine how taxpayer dollars are allocated. By moving these elections to a time when more members of the community are engaged in the election process, we can ensure that these races receive the attention they deserve.”
Passing the Senate 33 to 10, SB 6 advanced to the House, where Rep. Chris Banning (R-Bixby) is the principal House author. Banning had authored his own version of the proposal — HB 1151 — which failed to receive a House floor hearing by last month’s deadline.
Due process for school district accreditation decisions?
Rep. Tammy West (R-OKC) has authored HB 1466, which would ensure that public school districts have the opportunity to be heard by the State Board of Education before any changes are made to their accreditation status.
“This is a win for transparency in education,” West said in a March 11 press release. “House Bill 1466 will bring more accountability to the process and help schools navigate the accreditation system with greater clarity and fairness. Every school district deserves a fair chance to be heard before major changes are made to their accreditation status, and this measure ensures that their voices are not only heard but considered in the decision-making process.”
School accreditation falls under the purview of the Oklahoma State Department of Education, which recommends changes to districts’ status to the State Board of Education. However, under current law, districts are not entitled to a hearing prior to a downgrade vote regarding their accreditation.
Passing unanimously 89-0 off the House floor, HB 1146 would allow districts a 10-day window to request a hearing prior to the State Board of Education making an accreditation change from “accredited with warning” to “accredited with probation” or from “accredited with probation” to “non-accredited.”
As the Senate principle author, Pugh is carrying HB 1466 in the upper chamber.
How can teachers go from ’emergency to permanency’?
Freshman Sen. Mark Mann has authored SB 186 — also referred to as the “emergency to permanency” bill — as an effort to address the state’s ongoing teacher shortage. SB 186 would create a grant program to help individuals holding emergency or provisional education certifications become alternatively certified.
“We have more than 4,000 people in our state who’ve changed careers to help meet the ongoing, critical need for teachers, and we want them to succeed so our children will succeed as well,” Mann (D-OKC) said in a March 24 press release. “SB 186 will provide grants for additional training and certification. Every child deserves a great education, and that’s what this bill is about.”
Under the bill, the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability would administer the grants, which would be available up to 1,000 people annually and could be used for preparation, fees and professional education hours ahead of the state competency exam.
With a fiscal impact estimated at $2.6 million, SB 186’s title was stricken Feb. 24 and has yet to be restored. It advanced from the Senate 34-12, with Rep. Trish Ranson (D-Stillwater) serving as the principal House author of the measure.
Prohibiting DEI in Higher Education
Pugh advanced SB 796 off of the Senate floor March 27. The bill would prohibit institutions of higher education from using state funds, property or resources for programs or activities related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). The bill primarily defines such prohibited programs as being “based on one person’s particular race, color, ethnicity or national origin over another’s.” The bill also would prohibit any mandate regarding the disclosure of pronouns, any mandatory DEI statement as a part of an application, and any requirement for a person to “certify or declare agreement with, recognition of, or adherence to any particular political, philosophical, religious, or other ideological viewpoint.”
“Our higher education institutions should focus on providing quality education and workforce development opportunities rather than engaging in politically driven initiatives,” said Pugh in a March 27 press release. “Senate Bill 796 reaffirms our commitment to a fair and merit-based academic environment, where students and faculty are not subject to ideological litmus tests. Oklahoma’s public colleges and universities should be centers of learning, not ideological indoctrination.”
SB 796 is similar to an existing 2023 executive order from Gov. Kevin Stitt, and it would expand on policy laid out in HB 1775, legislation codified into law in 2021 banning certain teaching about race and gender in Oklahoma public schools. HB 1775 was also known as a ban on “critical race theory,” although its language does not directly ban the topic.
SB 796 passed the Senate 39-8. With Rep. Denise Crosswhite Hader (R-Piedmont) serving as House author, SB 796 appears on Tueday’s agenda for the House Postsecondary Education Committee.
Should OSDE review all terminations and dismissals?
Rep. Derrick Hildebrant (R-Catoosa) has authored HB 1075, also known as the Protect Our Kids Act, which passed the House floor March 17. The bill aims to strengthen student protections against sexual predation and other offenses by “enhancing transparency and accountability in cases of teacher and administrator misconduct.”
“The Protect Our Kids Act ensures that any recommendations for dismissal or non-reemployment of teachers and administrators, particularly in cases involving potential criminal misconduct, are properly reported and addressed,” Hildebrant said in a March 6 press release. “This legislation eliminates loopholes that have previously allowed individuals to resign quietly and continue working in other districts without proper scrutiny, while also ensuring that due process is followed and not circumvented. (…) By ensuring that teacher and administrator resignation or termination cases are thoroughly reviewed, we can better protect students and staff from potential harm, while ensuring fairness in cases where no criminal charges are filed. This bill takes significant steps to safeguard our schools and guarantee that only the most qualified educators are entrusted with our students’ futures.”
HB 1075 would require school districts to forward all misconduct-related recommendations for teacher and administrator dismissal to the State Board of Education, regardless of whether the individual resigns before or after the local school board can make a termination recommendation. Hildebrant’s bill also establishes reporting requirements of any resignation that “occurs under investigation for serious misconduct” to the State Board of Education, and it requires expungement of such report if an investigation concludes without findings to justify criminal charges or certificate revocation.
With it title stricken, HB 1075 advanced from the House floor March 17 by an 84-1. Rep. Tom Gann (R-Inola) was the only member to vote against the bill’s passage.
Additional education bills to watch
Other Oklahoma Senate education bills that have survived this far include but are not limited to:
- SB 235, by Pugh, would create a Grow Your Own teacher recruitment program for school districts to provide tuition and loan repayment assistance for nontraditional teachers seeking an undergraduate degree. The bill would establish state match funding for qualified school districts that have the program;
- SB 244, by Senate Floor Leader Julie Daniels (R-Bartlesville), would establish the School of American Civic Thought and Leadership at the University of Oklahoma. The school would teach principles, ideals and institutions of the American political order, as well as the philosophical foundations of responsible leadership and informed citizenship;
- SB 215, by Seifried, would create the Oklahoma Math Achievement and Proficiency Act to implement math screenings during the beginning, middle and end of the school year for fourth through seventh-graders;
- SB 212, by Seifried, would direct the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability to establish and maintain a two-year pilot program to be known as TeachForwardOK, with a $500,000 award for the selected provider of the program;
- SB 806, by Pugh, would create the Food is Medicine Act and direct the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to implement a financial incentive for contracted entities who improve health outcomes of covered members through nutrition services;
- SB 32, by Sen. Stanley (R-Midwest City), would modify the Oklahoma National Guard Educational Assistance Program to allow the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to establish limits on the amount of assistance available. The bill would make “program fees” eligible for assistance. It would also direct the Military Department and the State Regents to review mandatory fees, program fees, academic service fees and any other fees for courses. It would allow the regents to determine that certain fees could not be paid for by the program. (The bill is similar to HB 2257);
- SB 331, by Sen. Kelly Hines (R-Edmond), would create the Emerson Kate Cole Act to require a school employee to contact 911 “as soon as possible” in the event epinephrine is administered to a student. It would also require the school district to notify the parent or legal guardian of said student as soon as possible, and it would require training about food allergies, anaphylaxis and epinephrine administration for all school employees “who are directly responsible for students.” (The bill is similar to HB 2047);
- SB 364, by Sen. Dave Rader (R-Tulsa), would eliminate statute allowing a parent or legal guardian to sign a waiver allowing school district personnel to administer corporal punishment on a student with significant cognitive disabilities, while also prohibiting school district personnel from using corporal punishment on any student identified with a disability;
- SB 140, by Seifried, would modify provisions related to the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program. The bill would allow students who qualify based on financial need to enter into the program a year later — until Dec. 31 of their 12th-grade year or until they reach the age of 17. The bill prescribes other exemptions and income parameter changes;
- SB 706, by Pugh, would require gifts received by school districts for non-capital projects to be counted when calculating carryover limits if the monies are deposited into a district’s general fund. The bill would also eliminate penalties for exceeding those limits;
- SB 711, by Pugh, would modify language related to the A-F grading system for schools by replacing chronic absenteeism with climate surveys administered to school staff, parents and legal guardians of students enrolled in the site. School sites would also be eligible for bonus points based on the student attendance rate and improvement in the student attendance rate;
- SB 105, by Daniels, would modify the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program to remove the requirement that the qualifying special needs student must attend a public school district the year prior to applying for the program;
- SB 382, by Sen. David Bullard (R-Durant), would require children to be toilet trained prior to enrolling in prekindergarten beginning in the 2025-2026 school year. The bill defines “not toilet trained” as three or more documented instances of a child soiling itself over a four-week period, and it directs the State Department of Education to create a process by which a student can be temporarily unenrolled while toilet training is achieved;
- SB 942, by Sen. Kristen Thompson (R-Edmond), would codify a prohibition of discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, disability, religion, or marital status against a student or an employee at a state institution of higher education or a public school. The bill directs the adoption of a definition for “antisemitism” and requires that institutions treat discrimination based on antisemitism “in an identical manner to discrimination motivated by race”;
- SB 245, by Sen. Dusty Deevers (R-Elgin), would direct OSDE to establish the Oklahoma High Dosage Tutoring Program, a kindergarten through eighth grade initiative Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters requested to be carried through this year’s legislative session. The bill proposes a $1,600 bonus for tutors per cohort of students taught, as well as $1,000 bonuses per grade level increase achieved by a student. Those bonuses and program materials comprise the bulk of the bill’s estimated $7.2 million fiscal impact;
- SB 363, by Sen. Darcy Jech (R-Kingfisher), would define and exempt certain “religious degree-granting institutions” from accreditation requirements;
- SB 840, by Sen. Carri Hicks (D-OKC), would direct the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability to promulgate rules establishing a micro-credential for certified teachers who complete Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) certification or Center for Effective Reading Instruction (CERI). It also allows individuals with such micro-credentials to screen students for and identify characteristics of dyslexia; and
- SB 633, by Sen. Darrell Weaver (R-Moore), would authorize public school superintendents, or a designated district employee, to access data through the Juvenile Online Tracking System (JOLTS), an online record keeping system operated by the Office of Juvenile Affairs.
Other Oklahoma House education bills that have survived so far include but are not limited to:
- HB 2728, by Rep. Gerrid Kendrix (R-Altus), would reform the state’s administrative rule-making process — the system through which state agencies implement laws by drafting and proposing regulations. Although not an education bill directly, HB 2728 was proposed amid OSDE’s addition of controversial administrative rules, which include multiple amendments and revocations, most notably creating regulations around individual school districts providing OSDE with data on the number of enrolled students whose citizenship status is undocumented. Dubbed the “Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act,” HB 2728 would define “major rule” as any rule carrying a $1 million or greater financial impact for implementation over the first five years, and it would require an agency submitting a “major rule” to the Legislature to complete an “economic impact analysis.” The bill would create a Legislative Economic Analysis Unit (LEAU) within the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency ask task it with such reviews;
- HB 2888, by Rep. Tammy Townley (R-Ardmore), would remove non-taxable income sources from the calculation used to determine financial eligibility for the Oklahoma Tuition Equalization Grant Program;
- HB 2287, by Hilbert, would modify the calculation for per-pupil expenditure by requiring the following expenses to be included: instructional costs related to career and technology education programs in comprehensive schools and instructional costs related to concurrent classes that satisfy graduation requirements;
- HB 2288, by Hilbert, would allow a retired educator who returns to work in a public school eligible “to receive annualized earnings from the public school with no reduction in retirement benefits regardless of the amount of annualized earnings”;
- HB 1732, by House Speaker Pro Tempore Anthony Moore (R-Clinton), would prohibit the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association from signing exclusive broadcasting agreements that prevent local broadcasters from airing public school sports competitions. The bill states that “schools shall have the right to broadcast all high school athletic activities in this state in which the school’s athletic team is participating”;
- HB 1088, by Rep. Dick Lowe (R-Amber), would modify the parameters for a student to attend another school district if their grade level is not offered within their resident district;
- HB 2259, by Rep. Nicole Miller (R-Edmond), would modify multiple provisions of the Education Open Transfer Act for military students, such as grating the child of certain military personnel a provisional transfer into a school regardless of capacity, provided the student lives within the district boundaries within six months of filing for the transfer. The bill would also prohibit a school from denying a military student’s transfer prior to establishing residency on the basis of the student having an IEP, requiring special education or needing other special accommodations;
- HB 1982, by Ranson, would require school textbook publishers to make any electronic materials bundled with the physical textbook available by the date of delivery, replace defective electronic materials at no cost to the school within seven calendar days of notification and provide other appropriate support services within seven calendar days;
- HB 2257, by Miller, would modify the Oklahoma National Guard Educational Assistance Act to clarify that a scholarship recipient’s college enrollment fees must be covered through the Oklahoma National Guard Educational Assistance Program upon review and approval by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and the State Military Department. The bill would also establish rules for eligibility, the application process and a cap for the number of scholarship recipients. (The bill is similar to SB 32);
- HB 1017, by Moore, would create a 10-member commission to explore and make recommendations about the creation of a new NCAA Division II athletic conference among member colleges and universities in the state. The committee would be authorized to enter into contracts with experts and consultants when necessary, and it would be required to submit a report of findings to the House and Senate within 12 months of its first meeting;
- HB 1727, by Moore, would make the children of certified public school teachers with at least 10 years of experience eligible for the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program scholarship. The children of educators who have worked as superintendent, principal or other district position would be ineligible;
- HB 2903, by Townley, would repeal Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education’s student advisory board;
- HB 2197, by Rep. Max Wolfley (R-OKC), would prohibit state colleges and universities from requiring students to purchase a meal plan as a condition of enrollment or residing in on-campus housing;
- HB 2418, by Rep. Scott Fetgatter (R-Okmulgee), would direct the State Department of Education to work with the Department of Career and Technology Education to implement rules about adjunct career tech teachers;
- HB 2047, by Rep. Preston Stinson (R-Edmond), would require schools to call 911 as soon as possible if epinephrine is administered to a student and requires schools to provide teachers and staff with annual training regarding food allergies, recognizing anaphylaxis and administering epinephrine. (The bill is similar to SB 331);
- HB 2854, by Rep. Toni Hasenbeck (R-Elgin), would create a five-year moratorium on statutes that give certain state colleges and universities the exclusive right to offer certain courses;
- HB 1995, by Rep. Tim Turner (R-Kinta), would specify school resource officers and security staff as employees of the school for purposes of defining a rape statute;
- HB 1408, by Rep. Jim Grego (R-Wilburton), would require the State Department of Education to create a portal by which school district administrators can report when a student “leaves a public school to attend a private or other school, or to be educated by other means.” The bill would specify that such students would not be counted in the annual “dropout” report already required of school districts;
- HB 1396, by Rep. Melissa Provenzano (D-Tulsa), would prohibit private schools from requiring parents to participate in the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit Act as a condition of admission or enrollment;
- HB 1393, by House Education Oversight Committee Chairman Dell Kerbs (R-Shawnee), would require the State Department of Education to “adopt a separate parental consent form that school districts shall use for determining whether a student who has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) will participate in the Oklahoma Alternate Assessment Program.” The bill would also add certain notification requirements for such a change;
- HB 1491, by Rep. Ronny Johns (R-Ada), would authorize an item to be placed on a State Board of Education meeting agenda with written support from two board members. The bill would also grant similar authority for placing items on agendas to members of local school boards;
- HB 1485, by Johns, would allow school districts to hire teachers on emergency or provisional certificate contracts for more than four semesters;
- HB 1493, by Rep. Jacob Rosecrants (D-Norman), would require school districts to incorporate 30 minutes of daily recess — outdoors when permitted by weather — for full-day prekindergarten classes through fifth grade;
- HB 2151, by Rep. Rob Hall (R-Tulsa), would create the Federal Education Guidance Disclosure Act and require OSDE to publish online any guidance documents provided by the U.S. Department of Education;
- HB 2153, by Hall, would allow charter schools to provide superseding enrollment preference for siblings of current students;
- HB 2154, by Hall, would require charter school governing boards to approve a budget prior to the beginning of each fiscal year. The bill would exempt charter schools from filing certain written itemized statutes of estimated needs and probable income from all sources;
- HB 1521, by Lowe, would require one-half unit of instruction on financial literacy — or certain advance placement equivalent coursework — for degree tracks. The bill would also permit the use of alternate diplomas for certain students;
- HB 1412, by Johns, would modify calculation of the four-year and extended-year adjusted cohort graduation rates. It would exclude chronic absenteeism data from measures and reports while adding instructional time to grade measures;
- HB 2893, by Townley, would exempts certain paraprofessionals holding bachelor’s degrees in education from certain educational requirements. It would exempt certain teachers with the same degree from certain additional educational requirements;
- HB 1769, by Kerbs, would modify school employees’ enrollment window for major medical health care plans;
- HB 1483, by Johns, would establish additional whistleblower protections in Oklahoma schools by defining the term “whistleblower” and extending the applicability of protections to support employees;
- HB 1940, by Rep. Danny Sterling (R-Tecumseh), would allow the charter school operated by or contracted by the Office of Juvenile Affairs to enroll students in custody of county governments;
- HB 2125, by Rep. Clay Staires (R-Skiatook), would state that “adjunct teachers shall be authorized to teach at all grade levels including in early childhood education programs.” The bill would specify that “adjunct teachers shall not be authorized to teach special education classes”;
- HB 1958, by Staires, would establish rules by which school district boards of education could submit an “affidavit of board action” to the State Department of Education in lieu of approved meeting minutes; and
- HB 1484, by Johns, would establish “Rain’s Law” and require public schools to provide certain instruction on fentanyl abuse prevention and drug poisoning awareness. The bill would direct the governor to designate a Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Week in schools.
