McCall Pushes Back On OKC School Lawsuit Threats Over Ed Funding

Oklahoma House of Representatives, Office of the Speaker

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 17, 2017

STATEMENT: House Speaker McCall on Potential Education Funding Lawsuit

OKLAHOMA CITY – House Speaker Charles McCall (R-Atoka) issued the following statement today after the Oklahoma City Public School District threatened to file a lawsuit against the Oklahoma Legislature to increase funding for common education.

“Every state agency has been asked to operate on less because our revenues are down, yet the Department of Education has received a flat budget while others have taken cuts. The Oklahoma Supreme Court has already adjudicated the issue of ‘adequate school funding’ and dismissed a similar challenge in 2007. Not only that, but according to Department of Education funding data, the Oklahoma City Public School District’s per pupil funding average is more than $1,000 per student higher than the state average. However, if Oklahoma City Public Schools is concerned about a lack of funding, then I’m certainly curious to know how they found the money for millions of dollars in pay increases for their staff. I would encourage them to spend their time and money on being better stewards of the dollars they receive instead of filing frivolous lawsuits that blame others for their own poor leadership. Not only would a lawsuit waste the school district’s money, it would waste additional taxpayer dollars to defend it. The Oklahoma City Public School District needs to stop playing political games and get back to educating students.”