Initiative launched to keep more money in state classrooms

By Michael McNutt
The Oklahoman

An initiative petition drive was launched Tuesday that aims to keep at least 65 percent of public school money in the classroom for teachers and students.

The drive is part of a national effort by the group First Class Education.

Bob Sullivan, honorary chairman of First Class Education for Oklahoma, was the first to sign the petition.

Sullivan, a Tulsa oilman who is a Republican candidate for governor, said the group has 90 days to collect about 108,000 signatures of registered voters.

Organizers hope to be able to get the issue to voters for November's election. Television commercials promoting the drive were to air beginning Tuesday.

About 58 percent of Oklahoma's education tax money reaches the classroom, Sullivan said. That ranks the state 46th nationally.

Only eight of the state's 539 school districts are spending at least 65 percent of their budgets on classroom expenses, he said.

Increasing the amount of money to 65 percent would mean an additional $270 million for Oklahoma's classrooms, teachers and students without a tax increase, Sullivan said.

The petition states teacher salaries, supplies, special education programs, computers, libraries and librarians, field trips, athletics and art as well as extracurricular activities would be considered classroom expenses.

Classroom expenses would not include transportation, cafeteria, utility, maintenance and administrative costs. Nursing and counseling services also are not included.

Keith Ballard, executive director of the Oklahoma State School Boards Association, said the proposal is deceptive in that it implies the savings would be achieved by cutting administrative costs. State law already puts a 10 percent limit on administrative costs, he said.

Roy Bishop, president of the Oklahoma Education Association, called the petition bad public policy.

"It gives the impression that 65 percent is all that's needed, and there are so many different services for children on a day-to-day basis that aren't included," he said. "This 65 percent delusion -- not just in Oklahoma but in other states -- has typically been an effort by those who don't support funding education to make it look like they're actually doing so. All they're trying to do is fool the public."

Sullivan denied he was heading the effort to get publicity for his gubernatorial bid.

About the same time he was announcing the petition drive, his campaign sent out news releases stating his support for the concept.

"I'm not ashamed to say that this has fit nicely into my gubernatorial run," Sullivan said.