Support staff in Oklahoma's public schools would receive a one-time $2,500 stipend under a proposal approved Tuesday by the Oklahoma Senate's Education Appropriations Subcommittee.
Senate Education Committee Chairman Adam Pugh (R-Edmond) said the proposal would cost $99.67 million in one-time funding and was sent to the Senate Appropriations Committee on a 6-0 vote.
Pugh, who also chairs the Education Appropriations Subcommittee, said he has heard from school support staff that the state Legislature approved pay raises for Oklahoma teachers last year, but they did not receive raises as a result of that agreement. He noted that Congress does not set pay levels for support staff like it does for teachers. Therefore, salaries for support staff vary from district to district and often vary widely depending on the demand for their services.
Mr Pugh said he was sympathetic to support staff and wanted his proposal to address their concerns. He noted that the bill faces a long road to becoming law. Even if he is approved by the Appropriations Committee and the full Senate, he said, it would have to go through a similar path in the House and be included in the final national budget agreement between the two chambers.
“I hope this gets us across the finish line,” Pugh said. “We're still in the very early stages.”
Pugh said Oklahoma has about 40,000 school support staff. His first idea was for a $2,000 scholarship per person, but when he realized that the scholarship would be taxed at a rate of 22%, the amount left after taxes was I thought, “That's going to be somewhat insulting.” So he increased his benefit proposal to his $2,500 per person, so that recipients would actually receive about $2,000.
“This is a one-time thing,” he said. “While this is not expected to be part of the recurring basis of the (Oklahoma State Department of Education) budget, it is something the agency should revisit in the future.”
Senators are asking questions about how the funds will be distributed and how quickly the process will occur.
Sen. Mary Bolen (D-Norman) and Sen. Brenda Stanley (R-Midwest City) asked about the flow and timing of the funds. Mr Pugh said the funds would be directed to the Department of Education with clear instructions. School districts will report the number of support staff they have hired to the Department of Education, which will then send the appropriate number to districts.
If the scholarships are approved, the funds will be allocated to the Department of Education as of July 1, but Pugh said school districts will have to report the number of support staff to the Department of Education, and then the Department of Education will notify districts He pointed out that it would take several months before they could be dispatched. appropriate amount.
Stanley expressed concern about the speed with which the Department of Education is processing these requests — many districts, including the one she represents, are facing a slow process for the state to allocate federal funds flowing to districts this school year. However, Pugh said: The “very direct” direction given to government agencies should alleviate those concerns.
“I'm all for support personnel. They're horribly underpaid,” Stanley said.
Bolen noted that many large school districts, including Norman Public Schools, contract with companies whose employees work as school cafeteria workers and custodians, making those people ineligible for scholarships. did.
