Bill would change how schools get funding
Bill would change how state schools get funding
Comments 
5
By Michael McNutt
Published: February 27, 2008
Lottery money for public schools would not be distributed until after it is collected and then given out based on the number of students in each district, according to a bill on its way to the House.
Advertisement
Teachers union likes one part
Roy Bishop, president of the Oklahoma Education Association, said in a telephone interview his group likes the part about setting the lottery money aside for a year and allocate the money based on actual collections.
"You never know what the final tally's going to be, which makes it difficult for the Legislature,” Bishop said.
The teachers organization is concerned the proposed distribution could cause bookkeeping headaches for school districts, he said.
State schools Superintendent Sandy Garrett issued a statement earlier this year that seems to support the proposal.
"Lottery funding should be distributed on a per-pupil basis and on actual collections,” Garrett said. "Moreover, local boards of education should be given the discretion to spend lottery revenue based on the unique needs of their districts.”
Also in the news ...
The budget committee also passed HB 2222, which would remove legislators from deciding how much money to allocate to the state Ethics Commission, which looks into ethics complaints against elected officials, including legislators.
The commission has been underfunded for years, commission workers told the committee.
The commission has seven employees, the same number since 1991, and isn't given enough money for basic supplies; workers last year either had to borrow paper from another agency or brought it from home because the agency ran out of money.
The commission has almost used its $43,000 available for operating expenses this fiscal year, which ends June 30.
HB 2222, by Rep. Mike Reynolds, would set commission funding at not less than 2 percent of the total contributions reported to the Ethics Commission during the previous two calendar years.
Based on that formula, the Ethics Commission would receive a 70 percent increase to its current $517,000 budget.
Asked why the commission has been underfunded, Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, said: "It was an easy commission to underfund: We could accuse them of not doing their job, and ... maybe some people didn't care to see them do a good job.”
Prev
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
Thank you for joining our conversations on newsok. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
Log in below or sign up (it's free).