Oklahoma schools face more cutbacks
Education revolving fund nearly tapped out

Hey Paul, we missed you. How's your mother doing, I've been praying for the two of you this week. I hope they're able to get that hampster out of her anal cavity.

We love you and hope all is well. Cletus and the others from mayberry.

Somebody tell me again how this dirthole state is supposed to be "recession proof", will ya??

Oops, "we" is "was" in the post below

Martin, Norman: Ask your legislators where the school lottery money went. A third of last $3,000 pay increase given to teachers a couple of years ago was funded with school lottery money by the Legislature despite the outcry of school districts across the State. The Lottery money is now comingled with all the other state revenue given to schools through the education funding formula.

What should have happened and what was recommended to the Legislature we three things. First, the lottery money should be kept in a separate "pot". That way it could easily be tracked. Second, the lottery money should have been "banked" for a year. That way schools would know exactly how much total money they would be getting each year. Finally, the lottery money should be distributed to schools based on the number of actual students each school district has, not through the education funding formula, which uses weighted students as a basis along with other factors for distribution of funds. Some school districts receive little, if any formula money. Is this fair to them to receive little, if any, lottery money? That's what happened to the lottery money.

L, Snhawnee: Yes, but no way to actually and factually track these "other" expenses. Obviously you are looking at the State Department's website showing Superintendent salaries. The fringe category you are looking at does include car allowances, annuities, district-paid retirement, etc. Whatever is listed on his contract.

By the way, Mike Zolkoski is not the Supt of Tulsa Public Schools any longer and hasn’t been for a year now. Keith Ballard is. Zolkoski's skewed salary shown on this report is the payoff Tulsa Public Schools gave him to leave. He was not making that much money.

Why should local and state reps give a crap about education? OKC is a "big league city" now and Tulsa is getting a WNBA franchise. All is good. Is any of the funding for the Ford Center improvement being cut? I don't think so. I wouldn't mind finding out exactly where all of the lottery money is being spent. Try requesting an auditing of the Powerball or OK lottery and I bet you'd get buried in legal roadblocks and counter suits.

MBA, Supt. salary is reported in three categories, base, fringe and extra duty. Some items are not reported, such as vehicle and housing, when provided. Obvioulsy those are worthy. Also not included is the access to the petty cash/non-reoccuring accounts for reimbursable expenditures. You may be suprised by the total unoffical compensation.

Officially, Mike Zolkoski, Tulsa, is the highest paid supt. in the state...$502k.

L, Snhawnee: The average salary of a Superintendent in Oklahoma is around $100K. They do not get their health insurance paid for by the State (the law was written this way)and negotiate it into their contracts. I know of only two Supts. that have a total compensation package of over $200K, not OKC or Tulsa Public Schools but Tulsa Union and Jenks.

Keep in mind that most school superintendent, as well as other school administrative jobs, are year around, while teaching jobs are usually 10 month. School administrators work more days so are compensated more. So most Superintendents earn about twice what a teacher earns, but works more days. Also, most school administrative jobs require at least Masters Degrees.

You ask for fields of work where the head honcho makes six times what a normal worker earns. Try just about every field. Wall Street, banking, insurance, communications, technology, oil and gas, etc. If you are in a large school district, you are basically the CEO of an entity that employs 5,000+ people.

Gee, L, one would get the impression school administration is where politicians find jobs for their worthless friends and relatives. I am curious how much you have to contribute to campaigns to qualify for school administration jobs, anyway--wonder if I have enough money...

Is a superintendent really worth a quarter of a million dollars per year?

It may help if we would cut superintendent salaries and perks. In what other field does the boss make 6 times the salary of the ones that actually do the work?

HAVE YOU EVER WONDER IF THE RIGHT HAND IS HIDING MONEY FROM THE LEFT?THE MIRCLE CURE WAS THE LOTTO,BUT THEY PUT THAT MONEY IN A GERNAL FUND WHITCH COULD NOT BE TRACKED.THE NEXT CURE WAS THE OIL AND GAS MONEY,OR TAXES.WELL WE SE WERE THAT LEAD US,A DRY HOLE.IF ONLY PEAPLE COULD TELL THE TRUTH AND IF THE DID GET CAUGHT IN A LIE THEY SHOUL BE FIERD,AND EVERYTHING TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM. THATS WHAT HAPPENS IN REAL LIFE TOO PEAPLE,AND NOT THE UPPER 10% OF OKLAHOMA.THE REST OF US ARE IN THE FOX HOLE EVERY DAY KEEPING OUR GREAT STATE ALIVE

I know. Let's cut taxes!

Well Kevin, we are trying but evidentally, thats not working either. When you look at OU or OSU rosters, what state do you see 95% of the players from? Texas. So who is really winning National Championships, Oklahoma or Texas?

The problem is that the Oklahoma lawmakers doesn't give a damn about our children's education. Oklahoma has been ranked near the very bottom in the nation in education for many years and always will be until our elected officials do something about it.
When it comes to budget cuts our children are always the first to get the ax. Do away with the Vo-Techs, they have proven thierselves to be useless.

Chris, I think the logic behind this is: Oklahoma will NEVER be number one in academics, so let's try for sports. At least we can bet on that...