BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS:Thoughts from

The district has had had several conversations related to funding of common education over the past few months with each of our elected officials. We recognize state leaders are still working to find a compromise of the level and type of investments for our public schools in Oklahoma. This investment in our teachers and schools is greatly needed, and appreciated.

Thedistrictplanstosharewithourrepresentativesandsenatorsthat:

● It is extremely important for these additionalinvestmentsineducationtobedistributedthroughOklahoma’s nationally-recognizededucationfundingformula. The only appropriate way for distribution of funds in our state to occur is through this formula, which adjusts for the needs of each community and student including students with special needs and students whose families are economically disadvantaged.

● Distributionoutsideoftheformula (particularly if a cap is included, which would harm students in the largest districts in the state, including Bixby) wouldnotbefairandwouldsetaprecariousprecedentforfuturefunding. Based on the House and Governor's proposal, nearly every district in the state would receive $ per student. Districts in the Tulsa area including Bixby, TPS, Broken Arrow, Union, Jenks, Owasso, and Sand Springs, would receive just a fraction of that (~$ per child for Bixby).

● It simply does not make sense that our neighboring district of Glenpool with , students (compared to Bixby’s , ) would receive the same amount of new funding that Bixby would receive with over , additional students. We recognize that promises have been made to rural legislators to obtain their support for this funding package. So, rather than redistributing these funds by removing the cap,wewouldsuggestaddingfunds(approx$ M)totheplansothatall studentsarefundingequitablyinalldistrictsinOklahoma- rural, suburban, and urban.

● Bixbyalsosupportsthelargerpayraises ($ , - $ , ) included in the current Senate plan because they will help with retention of teachers, particularly those educators who have invested a significant amount of their life's work to working with children.

● Finally, while it seems certain that some type of private school tax credits will be passed this session,westronglybelievethere needstobeanincomecapforafamilytoaccessthesetaxdollars. To allow millionaires to receive tax dollars back from the general fund to send their children to private schools is not a meaningful investment in Oklahoma's future. It will not improve educational outcomes for our students nor create the type of innovation or competition that some proponents suggest.