Legislation to establish the School Finance Review Commission has passed the House of Representatives with a vote of 64 to 26.
House Bill 1578, authored by state Rep. Chad Caldwell, establishes the bi-partisan School Finance Review Commission to conduct regular reviews of all matters related to school finance including the funding formula, teacher pay and benefits, and administrative costs. The commission will feature appointees from the governor, lt. governor, and speaker of the House of Representatives, minority leader of the House of Representatives, president pro tempore of the Senate, and minority leader of the Senate.
The current legislation requires that the commission provides a report to the Legislature every three years with the first report being due Jan. 1, 2019, and the last Jan. 1, 2025.
"In my opinion, education is the most important function of state government,” said Rep. Caldwell, R-Enid. “We must move past treating our schools and the education of our children as if it is simply a fiscal issue and acknowledge it for what it is - a moral issue. We, as legislators, parents, and Oklahomans have a moral imperative to work towards providing a quality education for every child, regardless of where they live. This bill initiates the conversation to help ensure our tax dollars are spent as effectively as possible.”