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Public Education Officials Agree State of Education is Underfunded

Tulsa Regional Chamber

Officials in each of Oklahoma’s three public education systems say the state of education is poorly funded.

At their state of education forum, leaders with the Tulsa Regional Chamber said students going on summer break will come back to drastically different schools as new cuts take effect. Tulsa Superintendent Deborah Gist said on top of that, decades of underfunding have left Oklahomans unaware of what they don’t have but should in K–12 schools.

"We do not do enough to support our students with special needs. We do not do enough to support students who are English language learners. We do not do enough to support our teachers," Gist said.

Northeastern State University President Steve Turner said higher education had four state revenue shortfalls this year, which could end up slashing NSU’s budget $150 million total inside of a year. Turner is among those who consider education cuts a threat to Oklahomans’ overall economic health.

"Know this: The single biggest catalyst to wealth attainment in the United States for the average person is a bachelor's degree. Number two: You reap what you sow," Turner said.

State education cuts are also problematic for career tech programs. Tulsa Tech Superintendent Steve Tiger said over the past decade, his state funding has dropped to 5 percent of his total so career tech centers in rural areas can stay open.

Tiger said those cuts don’t take population into account.

"We have 4,000 students on a wait list, and we're constantly looking at how can we drive more programming to those students working with our partners who are serving those students," Tiger said. "Because it's in your best interest. It's in the workplace's best interest. It's in our community's best interest."

Tulsa Regional Chamber Chairman Jeff Dunn called on state officials to find new revenue for education funding.

Matt Trotter joined KWGS as a reporter in 2013. Before coming to Public Radio Tulsa, he was the investigative producer at KJRH. His freelance work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and on MSNBC and CNN.