Battle lines form in Legislature over control of charter schools
Two ideologies traditionally championed by the state’s conservative political class — local control and the expansion of school choice — clashed last year with the decision of the state Board of Education to overrule two local decisions on charter school proposals.
A change in state law in 2015 allowed charter schools to open beyond Oklahoma’s two largest cities for the first time.
These new “rural” charter schools require approval from the local school board.
If denied, the charter proposal can still be approved by the state board, which would then become the school’s sponsor.
In 2017, two charter school proposals that were rejected by school boards in Seminole and Norman were eventually approved by the state board.
Both schools are slated to open in the fall, if they continue to meet requirements, a state Department of Education spokesperson said.
“I’ve heard from lawmakers, I’ve heard from superintendents and I’ve heard from (school) board members in rural areas that do not like that the decision of a locally elected school board
can be overturned by an unelected board in Oklahoma City,” said Sen. Ron Sharp, R-Shawnee, who has filed a bill to remove the state board from the approval process.
The partisan divide
While charter schools have opponents and supporters on both sides of the political spectrum, the issue has often resulted in a partisan split in the Oklahoma Legislature.
House Democrats were unified in their opposition to the charter expansion law in 2015, while most Republicans were in favor.
Sharp, who taught in public schools for 38 years, said he is skeptical of charter schools, especially in smaller communities.
“When you are creating a charter school within one of these rural school districts, you can absolutely devastate that school district,” Sharp said.
Efforts to expand school choice in rural parts of the state can often run into opposition, despite large Republican support.
In small towns where a public school is the heart of the community, efforts to expand charter schools can seem like a threat for state funding that follows students.
But Sen. Jason Smalley, R-Stroud, whose district includes Seminole, said he supports the Board of Education having an opportunity to overrule local board decisions on charters.
“I didn’t feel like the (Seminole) school district was doing the best thing for the kids,” said Smalley, referring to the high school’s relocation to a former grocery store building while a debate took place over a longterm building solution.
“I think the state board has got to have a say in the process when it comes to charter schools, which might be the best thing for students in some communities,” Smalley said.
The role of state education boards in charter decisions vary by state.
Authorizations in other states
Arkansas has a charter school authorizing panel that oversees the approval, renewal and revocation of charters across the state.
In Kansas, the state board of education can deny a charter application that is approved by a local school board. However, it does not take up appeals if a charter application is rejected at the local level.
In Texas, charter organizations apply directly to the Texas Education Association, but an independent panel reviews and scores the application. An awarded application can be denied by the Texas state board of education, but the board does not take up appeals of rejected applications.
For the immediate future, many Oklahoma education observers don’t expect “rural” charters to grow at a large rate. Besides Norman and Seminole, a charter proposal in Ardmore has already been rejected by the local school board.
But in a small community where even a small adjustment in enrollment can have a big impact on state funding, local officials believe a new charter can have a big impact.
The Seminole school district serves around 1,600 students. But the future charter school has set an ambitious goal of eventually serving as many as 700 students.
“If all 700 of those students (in the charter school) come from the Seminole school district, or even 500 or 100 students, it’s going to significantly affect our budget and some really tough decisions are going to have to be made,” Jack Cadenhead, chair of the Seminole Public Schools board, told The Oklahoman last year.