How SQ 744 Supports our Kids and Schools

What is State Question (SQ) 744?

State Question (SQ) 744 amends the Oklahoma Constitution and guarantees that the Oklahoma Legislature annually will provide an amount of funding for public schools that is at least equal to the average of the amount spent per pupil by the states surrounding Oklahoma (Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico and Colorado).

Why do we need SQ 744?

Oklahoma’s children deserve good, high-quality schools. Today, Oklahoma is dead last in the region and 49th in the nation in what we invest in our students. Voting yes on State Question 744 gives our children the same educational opportunities as students in neighboring states like Arkansas and Texas. SQ 744 takes control of school funding from career politicians and bureaucrats, and puts it in the hands of local parents, teachers and school boards. SQ 744 will help us reduce class sizes, recruit and retain great teachers, and finally give Oklahoma’s children the education they need to succeed.

  • Oklahoma invests less in our children’s education than any surrounding state. We share a border with six other states and we rank #7 in student investment.
  • Arkansas ranks first on that list. Arkansas invests almost 30% more per student than Oklahoma. As a result, Arkansas students test scores are up — 35% more of Arkansas’s 11th-graders passed the state’s literacy test in 2009 than passed in 2001.
  • Our schools are seriously underfunded and it’s about time we invest in Oklahoma’s children. Oklahoma ranks 49th in the nation in what we invest in our children’s education.

If we want to grow our economy by expanding economic opportunities for our children we need to provide the educational foundation they need to succeed. Right now, Oklahoma’s children are forced to use outdated textbooks, share obsolete technology and attend increasingly crowded classes.

SQ 744 will ensure that Oklahoma’s children will have all of the tools they for success.

Why should Oklahomans vote yes for SQ 744?

A YES vote on SQ 744 will:

    SQ 744 gives Oklahoma’s children access to the same educational opportunities as children in neighboring states, like Arkansas and Texas.
    Over the past 2 years Oklahoma’s funding for pre-K through 12th grade education has decreased by over $200 million dollars. This has resulted in mass teacher layoffs, shortages of supplies and slashed curriculums. SQ 744 will prevent further harmful cuts.
    SQ 744 will provide schools with the resources to recruit and retain additional high quality teachers and help provide for smaller classes, so Oklahoma students receive the individual attention they need and deserve.
    Oklahoma ranks last in the region in average teacher pay. SQ 744 will help us recruit and retain the best teachers for our students.
    SQ 744 requires accountability in school investment. It puts control of education funding in the hands of local parents, teachers and school board members who know what their students and schools need.
  • Give Oklahoma’s children access to the same educational opportunities as children in neighboring states, like Arkansas and Texas.
  • Over the past 2 years Oklahoma’s funding for pre-K through 12th grade education has decreased by over $200 million dollars. This has resulted in mass teacher layoffs, shortages of supplies and slashed curriculums. SQ 744 will prevent further harmful cuts.
  • SQ 744 will provide schools with the resources to recruit and retain additional high quality teachers and help provide for smaller classes, so Oklahoma students receive the individual attention they need and deserve.
  • Oklahoma ranks last in the region and 48th in the nation teacher pay. SQ 744 will help us recruit and retain the best teachers for our students.
  • SQ 744 requires accountability in school investment. It puts control of education funding in the hands of local parents, teachers and school board members who know what their students and schools need.
  • Preparing our children for good-paying jobs and giving them the skills they need for a successful future.
  • Requiring oversight, accountability and transparency in school funding, spending and performance with published annual reports to inform the public and local decision makers.
  • Investing in our schools so our children are prepared for good-paying jobs of the future.

A better-educated workforce draws business investment. With a well-educated population we can build a stronger economy right here in Oklahoma.

How will our investment help?

SQ 744 will provide neighborhood schools with resources:

  • For new and up-to-date technology and textbooks, so Oklahoma students get the high quality education that allows them to compete with students from Arkansas and Texas.
  • To provide smaller class sizes and to reduce school overcrowding, so our children can receive the individualized attention they need to be successful.
  • To help us recruit and retain the best teachers for our students and prevent the loss of teachers to neighboring states like Arkansas and Texas.
  • To strengthen school safety and provide student support services like career counseling and dropout prevention programs.
  • To enhance special education programs.
  • To require oversight, accountability and transparency in school funding by requiring annual reports that track investments in, and overall performance of, our schools.

(Building projects and debt retirement would not be eligible for SQ 744 investments.)

Will SQ 744 increase taxes?

SQ 744 does NOT call for a tax increase. What SQ 744 does call for is common sense budgeting that prioritizes Oklahoma’s children and removes waste and pork barrel spending. We have an opportunity, as Oklahoma emerges from the recession and state revenues grow, to put our kids first and invest in their future. Our economy needs it and our kids deserve it.

How will we know if our investment pays off?

SQ 744 requires new accountability standards and reporting to watchdog agencies. It lets us monitor how education dollars are invested so we can ensure our children are getting the new technologies, textbooks, and supplies they need to learn. Published reports also will detail student achievement results so we can determine how our children are succeeding in receiving the education they need to compete against students from Texas and Arkansas for the jobs of the future.

Will SQ 744 require the consolidation of rural schools?

Nothing in SQ 744 would require school consolidation. Only patrons of a district can choose to consolidate with a neighboring district. Opponents of SQ744 use consolidation as a scare tactic. The number of school districts is not a factor in the calculation of per pupil expenditure.

How quickly will schools see funding if SQ 744 becomes law?

SQ 744 provides for a three-year phase-in period, which means that it will not be fully implemented until the 2014-2015 school year. This will allow us to properly plan and prioritize our schools. We can begin now to reinvest in our schools and focus on the future, leaving behind a positive legacy all Oklahomans can be proud of.


*Note: Some of the above figures are based on estimates from the US Department of Education