Oklahoma House of Representatives

Media Division

July 17, 2008



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: State Rep. Jeff Hickman

Capitol: (405) 557-7339



OEA Renews Push for Forced Rural School Consolidation



OKLAHOMA CITY – A state teacher’s union is renewing its push for “back-door consolidation” of rural schools, a state legislative leader warned today.

State Rep. Jeff Hickman noted this is the second time in three years the Oklahoma Education Association has tried to force rural consolidation.

“The OEA keeps using the same old bait-and-switch: They say they want to help education but pursue strategies guaranteed to force the closing of rural schools,” said Hickman, R-Dacoma

This year’s state appropriation for public schools was $2.53 billion – an increase and record amount in a session when most state agencies received no extra funding at all. Oklahoma schools are expected to also receive another $628.2 million in federal funds and around $1 billion more in local funding.

In spite of that record support, the OEA plans to promote a proposed constitutional amendment mandating an increase in “per-pupil” funding they say would require an additional $850 million appropriation, according to the July 17 edition of The Oklahoman.

That plan would almost certainly force the closure of dozens of rural schools in an effort to reach the OEA’s arbitrary goal, Hickman noted. Many of those smaller, rural districts are at or near the top in the state in academic performance. “The OEA’s plan would force the elimination of schools across the state to reduce overhead and boost per-pupil funding,” Hickman said. “Their plan would not provide any true benefit to students and would actually create serious hardships for families throughout Oklahoma. The OEA bosses in Oklahoma City may not think it’s a big deal for rural parents to have to drive children an hour or more to school, but I think most parents would disagree, especially in a time of $4 gas.”

This is the OEA’s second attempt to force school consolidation. In late 2005, the union filed a lawsuit on behalf of the super-wealthy Jenks and Western Heights school districts claiming they were underfunded.

The OEA lawsuit was modeled after an Arkansas plan that forced the closure of 57 school districts in that state. If the OEA had been successful at forcing the Arkansas model on Oklahoma, up to 250 Oklahoma school districts could have faced closure thanks to the OEA’s back-door consolidation plan.

“You don’t improve education by closing schools – particularly some of our best-performing districts,” Hickman said, “It’s too bad the OEA doesn’t understand that.”