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The Clinton Daily News
2NODKRPDVFKRROIXQGLQJGLVSDULWLHVKLJKOLJKWHGDWIRUXP
BY STEVE METZER
The Journal Record
Despite big invest-
ments made in educa-
tion in recent years,
“noticeable, definable”
inequities in funding
remain between school
districts in Oklahoma,
and the rising influ-
ence of virtual charter
schools may be making
disparities worse, espe-
cially for rural districts.
That was one of the
messages shared by
rural school administra-
tors with state lawmak-
ers who gathered recent-
ly at the Capitol to take
part in forums sched-
uled to address funding
issues related to tradi-
tional public schools,
brick-and-mortar char-
ter schools and virtual
charter schools. A panel
of 17 state representa-
tives also assembled to
hear from experts about
42%
per-student costs of op- with new problems,” imperative that we nitely changing the whole organization that is the
erating virtual schools Sharp said. “There is an improve oversight,” he atmosphere. I think it oversight piece. We have
as compared to tradi- evident lack of transpar- said. will call for us to revisit the governing board and
tional schools as well as ency of state fund use, Epic Assistant Super- the (funding) formula as then the school itself. In
oversight responsibili- proper oversight and ac- intendent of Communi- well as oversight. I think today’s scenario, the gov-
ties pertaining to virtual countability within our cations Shelly Hickman we’ll be looking into all erning board is selected
charter schools. virtual charter school responded that Sharp aspects of it. The bottom by those who run the
Those who offered system.” has made willfully mis- line is we need to be look- school. It’s not like tradi-
input included Shawn Sharp has said he has leading comments about ing out for the best inter- tional brick-and-mortar
Hime, executive director grave doubts about the the charter schools. ests of our students.” schools where you have
of the Oklahoma State veracity of enrollment Two state representa- State Rep. Andy Fugate, an elected school board,
School Boards Associa- figures reported by Epic tives who attended the D-Oklahoma City, agreed and to me that’s a funda-
tion; Rebecca Wilkinson, that directly affect state forum said it’s likely that that virtual schools mental problem. If I can
executive director of the funding of the virtual school funding and virtu- likely will be a hot topic set up a charter school
Oklahoma Statewide schools. He also has al school oversight will be when lawmakers meet and pick five of my
Virtual Charter School aired concerns about among issues addressed again in session. friends to serve on the
Board; Brad Clark, gen- Epic’s oversight and its during the next session of “I don’t know where it board I have autonomy
eral counsel of the Okla- reporting of finances. the Legislature. will go yet. My question over what it is I’m going
homa Department of “The rules for tradi- “I think we’ll be look- is really about the three- to do, and that’s not con-
Education; and several tional brick-and-mortar ing at a lot of potential tiered oversight,” he said. trol at all in a traditional
others. Oklahoma Sen. public schools and areas, from the funding “We have the sponsoring sense.”
Ron Sharp, R-Shawnee, virtual charters are dif- of schools to the makeup
who has been a vocal ferent, and it’s causing of students (and) family
critic of the state’s Epic confusion and problems. expectations,” said state fresh ground meat &
virtual charter schools, Given their astronomi- Rep. Danny Sterling, R-
also attended the inter- cal growth and increas- Tecumseh. “(The rise of steaks cut the way
im study session.
“While our schools
ing state funding, it’s virtual schools) is defi- you like them!
have received historic
funding the last two save money with
years, we’re now faced
MEAT PACKS
Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
 Choctaw Times

Sep
18

2019

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Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
 Durant Daily Democrat

Sep
18
Forum highlights
disparities in
2019

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001
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school spending
BY STEVE METZER scheduled to address
The Journal Record funding issues relat-
ed to traditional public
OKLAHOMA CITY – schools, brick-and-mor-
Despite big investments tar charter schools and
made in education in virtual charter schools.
recent years, “notice- A panel of 17 state rep-
able, definable” inequi- resentatives also assem-
ties in funding remain bled to hear from ex-
between school districts perts about per-student
in Oklahoma, and the costs of operating virtu-
rising influence of vir- al schools as compared
tual charter schools may to traditional schools as
be making disparities well as oversight respon-
worse, especially for ru- sibilities pertaining to
ral districts. virtual charter schools.
That was one of the Those who offered
messages shared by input included Shawn
rural school adminis- Hime, executive director
trators with state law- of the Oklahoma State
makers who gathered School Boards Associ-
last week at the Capitol
to take part in forums SEE FORUM, PAGE 9

Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
 Durant Daily Democrat
FORUM
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
ation; Rebecca Wilkinson,
executive director of the
Sep Oklahoma Statewide Virtual
18 Charter School Board; Brad
Clark, general counsel of the
2019 Oklahoma Department of Ed-
ucation; and several others.
Page Oklahoma Sen. Ron Sharp,
009 R-Shawnee, who has been a
Clip vocal critic of the state’s Epic
resized virtual charter schools, also
63%
attended the interim study
From session.
001 “While our schools have
received historic funding the
last two years, we’re now faced
with new problems,” Sharp
said. “There is an evident lack
of transparency of state fund
use, proper oversight and ac-
countability within our virtu-
al charter school system.”
Sharp has said he has grave
doubts about the veracity of
enrollment figures reported
by Epic that directly affect
state funding of the virtual
schools. He also has aired con-
cerns about Epic’s oversight
and its reporting of finances.
“The rules for tradition-
al brick-and-mortar public
schools and virtual charters
are different, and it’s causing
confusion and problems. Giv-
en their astronomical growth
and increasing state funding,
it’s imperative that we im-
prove oversight,” he said.
Epic Assistant Superin-
tendent of Communications
Shelly Hickman responded
that Sharp has made willfully
misleading comments about
the charter schools.
Two state representatives
who attended Wednesday’s fo-
rum said it’s likely that school
funding and virtual school
oversight will be among issues
Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
addressed during the next ses-
sion of the Legislature.
“I think we’ll be looking at
a lot of potential areas, from
the funding of schools to the
makeup of students (and)
family expectations,” said
state Rep. Danny Sterling,
R-Tecumseh. “(The rise of
virtual schools) is definitely
changing the whole atmo-
sphere. I think it will call for
us to revisit the (funding) for-
mula as well as oversight. I
think we’ll be looking into all
aspects of it. The bottom line
is we need to be looking out
for the best interests of our
students.”
State Rep. Andy Fugate,
D-Oklahoma City, agreed that
virtual schools likely will be
a hot topic when lawmakers
meet again in session.
“I don’t know where it will
go yet. My question is really
about the three-tiered over-
sight,” he said. “We have the
sponsoring organization that
is the oversight piece. We have
the governing board and then
the school itself. In today’s
scenario, the governing board
is selected by those who run
the school. It’s not like tra-
ditional brick-and-mortar
schools where you have an
elected school board, and to
me that’s a fundamental prob-
lem. If I can set up a charter
school and pick five of my
friends to serve on the board I
have autonomy over what it is
I’m going to do, and that’s not
control at all in a traditional
sense.”
Spiro Public Schools Su-
perintendent Richard Haynes
and New Lima Public Schools
Superintendent Jim Mathews
offered lawmakers input from
rural districts. Haynes spoke
about serious challenges
faced by school systems in ar-
eas that don’t generate much
in the way of property tax
revenue for schools. It can be
incredibly difficult to finance
a new bus or a new roof, let
alone a new school, he said. In
his district there’s no money
to replace an old, leaky under-
ground storm cellar, which
means if severe weather is in
the area students who have
to take shelter there end up
standing in water.
“Our school has no busi-
nesses, no stores, no post of-
fice, so facility (maintenance
and upgrade) for us is quite a
problem,” he said.
Mathews said there are
many other school districts
across the state that similarly
struggle as a result of so many
expenses being tied to local
property tax revenues and
bonding capacity.
“They’re in a desperate
fight to keep from being closed
or consolidated,” he said.
Haynes added that some ru-
ral schools have lost students
to virtual charter schools
– along with state funding
based on enrollment numbers
– only to end up re-enrolling
the same students months
later without receiving any
increase in funding. He sug-
gested that issues related to
measures of student success
and attendance reporting by
virtual charter schools need
to be carefully examined by
the state.
“There is a noticeable, de-
finable difference between a
brick-and-mortar school and
a virtual school, and between
rural and urban. It’s just the
reality of the situation. They
have more resources and rev-
enue to work with than what a
rural school has. That doesn’t
mean their kids are any more
important,” he said.
 The Fairfax Chief

Sep
18

2019

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0005
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Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
 The Rush Springs Gazette

Funding inequity.
Sep Forum highlights disparities
19

2019
in school spending
By Steve Metzer
The Journal Record
Page OKLAHOMA CITY – Despite big investments made in education in recent years, “noticeable,
005 GHÀQDEOHµLQHTXLWLHVLQIXQGLQJUHPDLQEHWZHHQVFKRROGLVWULFWVLQ2NODKRPDDQGWKHULVLQJ
LQÁXHQFHRIYLUWXDOFKDUWHUVFKRROVPD\EHPDNLQJGLVSDULWLHVZRUVHHVSHFLDOO\IRUUXUDOGLVWULFWV
Clip That was one of the messages shared by rural school administrators with state lawmakers
resized who gathered on Wednesday at the Capitol to take part in forums scheduled to address funding
45% issues related to traditional public schools, brick-and-mortar charter schools and virtual charter
schools. A panel of 17 state representatives also assembled to hear from experts about per-stu-
dent costs of operating virtual schools as compared to traditional schools as well as oversight
responsibilities pertaining to virtual charter schools.
Those who offered input included Shawn Hime, executive director of the Oklahoma State
School Boards Association; Rebecca Wilkinson, executive director of the Oklahoma Statewide
Virtual Charter School Board; Brad Clark, general counsel of the Oklahoma Department of
Education; and several others. Oklahoma Sen. Ron Sharp, R-Shawnee, who has been a vocal
critic of the state’s Epic virtual charter schools, also attended the interim study session.
“While our schools have received historic funding the last two years, we’re now faced with
new problems,” Sharp said. “There is an evident lack of transparency of state fund use, proper
oversight and accountability within our virtual charter school system.”
6KDUSKDVVDLGKHKDVJUDYHGRXEWVDERXWWKHYHUDFLW\RIHQUROOPHQWÀJXUHVUHSRUWHGE\(SLF
that directly affect state funding of the virtual schools. He also has aired concerns about Epic’s
RYHUVLJKWDQGLWVUHSRUWLQJRIÀQDQFHV
“The rules for traditional brick-and-mortar public schools and virtual charters are different,
and it’s causing confusion and problems. Given their astronomical growth and increasing state
funding, it’s imperative that we improve oversight,” he said.
Epic Assistant Superintendent of Communications Shelly Hickman responded that Sharp has
made willfully misleading comments about the charter schools.
Two state representatives who attended Wednesday’s forum said it’s likely that school fund-
ing and virtual school oversight will be among issues addressed during the next session of the
Legislature.
“I think we’ll be looking at a lot of potential areas, from the funding of schools to the make-
up of students (and) family expectations,” said state Rep. Danny Sterling, R-Tecumseh. “(The
ULVHRIYLUWXDOVFKRROVLVGHÀQLWHO\FKDQJLQJWKHZKROHDWPRVSKHUH,WKLQNLWZLOOFDOOIRUXVWR
revisit the (funding) formula as well as oversight. I think we’ll be looking into all aspects of it.
The bottom line is we need to be looking out for the best interests of our students.”
State Rep. Andy Fugate, D-Oklahoma City, agreed that virtual schools likely will be a hot
topic when lawmakers meet again in session.
“I don’t know where it will go yet. My question is really about the three-tiered oversight," he
said. "We have the sponsoring organization that is the oversight piece. We have the governing
board and then the school itself. In today’s scenario, the governing board is selected by those
who run the school. It’s not like traditional brick-and-mortar schools where you have an elected
school board, and to me that’s a fundamental problem. If I can set up a charter school and pick
ÀYHRIP\IULHQGVWRVHUYHRQWKHERDUG,KDYHDXWRQRP\RYHUZKDWLWLV,·PJRLQJWRGRDQG
that’s not control at all in a traditional sense.”
Spiro Public Schools Superintendent Richard Haynes and New Lima Public Schools Su-
perintendent Jim Mathews offered lawmakers input from rural districts. Haynes spoke about
serious challenges faced by school systems in areas that don’t generate much in the way of
SURSHUW\WD[UHYHQXHIRUVFKRROV,WFDQEHLQFUHGLEO\GLIÀFXOWWRÀQDQFHDQHZEXVRUDQHZ
roof, let alone a new school, he said. In his district there’s no money to replace an old, leaky
underground storm cellar, which means if severe weather is in the area students who have to
take shelter there end up standing in water.
´2XUVFKRROKDVQREXVLQHVVHVQRVWRUHVQRSRVWRIÀFHVRIDFLOLW\PDLQWHQDQFHDQGXSJUDGH
for us is quite a problem,” he said.
Mathews said there are many other school districts across the state that similarly struggle as
a result of so many expenses being tied to local property tax revenues and bonding capacity.
´7KH\·UHLQDGHVSHUDWHÀJKWWRNHHSIURPEHLQJFORVHGRUFRQVROLGDWHGµKHVDLG
Haynes added that some rural schools have lost students to virtual charter schools – along
with state funding based on enrollment numbers – only to end up re-enrolling the same stu-
dents months later without receiving any increase in funding. He suggested that issues related
to measures of student success and attendance reporting by virtual charter schools need to be
carefully examined by the state.
´7KHUHLVDQRWLFHDEOHGHÀQDEOHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQDEULFNDQGPRUWDUVFKRRODQGDYLUWXDO
school, and between rural and urban. It’s just the reality of the situation. They have more re-
sources and revenue to work with than what a rural school has. That doesn’t mean their kids
are any more important,” he said.

Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.