The State Department of Education could be told to take a look at a new form of school district consolidation.
The Oklahoma Senate Education Committee passed a bill Monday directing the education department to study administrative services. By Dec. 1, 2018, there would be a list of districts recommended for Regional Education Administrative Districts.
Senate Bill 514 author Gary Stanislawski said the biggest change with READs would be a single administration for several districts.
"It leaves all school boards, school district boundaries. It leaves everything intact," Stanislawski said.
The bill says administrative services provided by READs "may include but not be limited to treasurer services, accounting services,purchasing services, warehouse and distribution services, human resources services, construction management, maintenance, risk management, information technology services, special education coordination, curriculum coordination, speech pathologist services, reading specialist services, transportation services, cafeteria services and shared superintendent services."
Stanislawski said his intent is to send more dollars into classrooms.
"There could be classes for every child — AP classes, for instance — in that area if they'd just share the teachers, if they'd share administration, if they would work together," Stanislawski said.
Muskogee Republican Dewayne Pemberton supported the concept with one stipulation.
"As long as this is what I understand to be a study for just bringing back data for us to look at and there is not any mandatory requirements for any consolidation of administrative or anything at this time, then I have no problem with it," Pemberton said.
Committee members amended the bill to make districts’ participation in READs optional, but Stanislawski wants it to be mandatory.
