New School Legislation
April 20, 2007

New School Legislation Would Result in Loss of Local Control, OKC Public Schools Board Chairman Says

Oklahoma City, OK– New legislation advocated by House Speaker Lance Cargill would allow municipalities, colleges and universities to create a dramatic number of new charter schools. But that would potentially undermine the gains made under MAPS 4 Kids, according to Board Chairman Cliff Hudson.

“SB 661 is problematic in that it would result in municipalities, colleges and universities - not neighborhood school districts – assuming local control of elementary, middle and high schools, seriously lessening fiscal and academic accountability,” Hudson said.

“The Oklahoma City district already offers a variety of educational choices for families including traditional, charter and enterprise schools with the accountability for each resting in the hands of elected officials. This proposal would open the floodgates for a virtually unlimited number of charter schools over the next several years with little or no accountability.

“MAPS 4 Kids promised that every child would go to a new or renovated school. This potential increase in charter schools would seriously undermine that promise, and the hundreds of millions of dollars spent to rebuild the school district will have been wasted.
Therefore we would advise the Legislature to look carefully at the progress being made by the state’s urban school districts and view our successes, not undermine our efforts.”