Public education in Oklahoma

K-12 education in Oklahoma

Education facts

State superintendent: Ryan Walters

Number of students: 658,323

Number of teachers: 41,323

Teacher/pupil ratio: 1:15.9

Number of school districts: 512

Number of schools: 1,720

Graduation rate: 85%

Per-pupil spending: $9,508

See also

Oklahoma Department of Education • List of school districts in Oklahoma • Oklahoma • School boards portal

Public education in the United States Public education in Oklahoma Glossary of education terms

Note: These statistics are mainly from government sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. Figures given were the most recent as of October 2022.

The Oklahoma public school system (prekindergarten through grade 12) operates within districts governed by locally elected school boards and superintendents. In 2022, Oklahoma had 658,323 students enrolled in a total of 1,720 schools in 512 school districts. There were 41,323 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 16 students, compared to the national average of 1:16. In 2020, Oklahoma spent on average $9,508 per pupil. The state's graduation rate was 85 percent in the 2018-2019 school year.

General information

See also: General comparison table for education statistics in the 50 states and Education spending per pupil in all 50 states

The following chart shows how Oklahoma compares to the national level for the most recent years for which data is available.

Public education in Oklahoma
State	Schools	Districts	Students	Teachers	Teacher to pupil ratio	Per pupil spending*
Oklahoma	1,720	512	658,323	41,323	1:15.9	$9,508
United States	90,323	13,194	47,755,383	2,783,705	1:16	$13,494
*Per pupil spending data reflects information reported for fiscal year 2020. Sources: Education statistics in the United States U.S. Census Bureau, "U.S. School System Current Spending Per Pupil by Region: Fiscal Year 2020" National Center for Education Statistics, "Fast Facts: High school graduation rates"

Academic performance

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Education terms
For more information on education policy terms, see this article.
School board elections portal Glossary of education terms School choice on the ballot Education on the ballot

NAEP scores

See also: NAEP scores by state

The National Center for Education Statistics provides state-by-state data on student achievement levels in mathematics and reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The table below presents the percentage of fourth- and eighth- grade students that scored at or above proficient in reading and math during school year 2012-2013. Compared to three neighboring states (Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri), Oklahoma had the smallest percentage of students scoring at or above proficient in all categories.

Percent of students scoring at or above proficient, 2012-2013
	Math - Grade 4	Math - Grade 8	Reading - Grade 4	Reading - Grade 8
Oklahoma	36%	25%	30%	29%
Arkansas	39%	28%	32%	30%
Kansas	48%	40%	38%	36%
Missouri	39%	33%	35%	36%
United States	41%	34%	34%	34%
Source: United States Department of Education, ED Data Express, "State Tables"

Graduation, ACT and SAT scores

See also: Graduation rates by groups in state and ACT and SAT scores in the United States

The following table shows the graduation rates and average composite ACT and SAT scores for Oklahoma and surrounding states during the 2012-2013 school year. All statements made in this section refer to that school year.

In the United States, public schools reported graduation rates that averaged about 81.4 percent. About 54 percent of all students in the country took the ACT, while 50 percent reported taking the SAT. The average national composite scores for those tests were 20.9 out of a possible 36 for the ACT and 1498 out of a possible 2400 for the SAT.

Oklahoma schools reported a graduation rate of 84.8 percent, the lowest among its neighboring states.

In Oklahoma, more students took the ACT than the SAT, earning an average ACT score of 20.8.

Comparison table for graduation rates and test scores, 2012-2013
State	Graduation rate, 2013		Average ACT composite, 2013		Average SAT composite, 2013
	Percent	Quintile ranking**	Score	Participation rate	Score	Participation rate
Oklahoma	84.8%	Second	20.8	75%	1689	5%
Arkansas	84.9%	Second	20.2	90%	1697	4%
Kansas	85.7%	Second	21.8	75%	1752	6%
Missouri	85.7%	Second	21.6	74%	1773	4%
United States	81.4%		20.9	54%	1498	50%
**Graduation rates for states in the first quintile ranked in the top 20 percent nationally. Similarly, graduation rates for states in the fifth quintile ranked in the bottom 20 percent nationally. Sources: United States Department of Education, "ED Data Express" ACT.org, "2013 ACT National and State Scores" The Commonwealth Foundation, "SAT scores by state, 2013"

Dropout rate

See also: Public high school dropout rates by state for a full comparison of dropout rates by group in all states

The high school event dropout rate indicates the proportion of students who were enrolled at some time during the school year and were expected to be enrolled in grades nine through 12 in the following school year but were not enrolled by October 1 of the following school year. Students who have graduated, transferred to another school, died, moved to another country, or who are out of school due to illness are not considered dropouts. The average public high school event dropout rate for the United States remained constant at 3.3 percent for both school year 2010–2011 and school year 2011–2012. The event dropout rate for Oklahoma was lower than the national average at 2.5 percent in the 2010-2011 school year and 2.5 percent in the 2011-2012 school year.

Educational choice options

See also: School choice in Oklahoma

School choice options in Oklahoma included charter schools, school vouchers, inter-district and intra-district open enrollment policies and online learning programs. In addition, about 4.79 percent of school-age children in the state attended private schools in the 2011-2012 academic year, and an estimated 2.67 percent were homeschooled in 2012-2013.

Developments

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020)

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
Media coverage and commentary
U.S. Supreme Court 2019-2020 term
Blaine Amendment (U.S. Constitution)
Blaine amendments in state constitutions
School choice on the ballot
Education on the ballot

See also: Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue

On June 30, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, which concerned whether the government can exclude religious institutions from student-aid programs. The case related to Article X, Section 6 of the Montana Constitution, also known as Montana’s Blaine Amendment.

In its 5-4 opinion, the court held that the application of Article X, Section 6 violated the free exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution. The majority held Article X, Section 6 barred religious schools and parents who wished to send their children to those schools from receiving public benefits because of the religious character of the school.

The case addressed the tension between the free exercise and Establishment clauses of the U.S. Constitution—where one guarantees the right of individuals' free exercise of religion and the other guarantees that the state won't establish a religion—and the intersections of state constitutions with state law and with the U.S. Constitution.

Oklahoma is one of the states with a Blaine Amendment.

Education funding and expenditures

See also: Oklahoma state budget and finances

Breakdown of expenditures by function in fiscal year 2013
Source: National Association of State Budget Officers

According to the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO), states spent an average of 19.8 percent of their total budgets on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. In addition, the United States Census Bureau found that approximately 45.6 percent of the country's school system revenue came from state sources, while about 45.3 percent came from local sources. The remaining portion of school system revenue came from federal sources.

Oklahoma spent approximately 16.2 percent of its budget on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. School system revenue came primarily from state funds. Oklahoma spent the second lowest percentage of its total budget on public education when compared to its neighboring states.

Comparison of financial figures for school systems, fiscal year 2013
State	Percentage of budget	Per pupil spending	Revenue sources
			Percent federal funds	Percent state funds	Percent local funds
Oklahoma	16.2%	$7,672	12.2%	49.2%	38.6%
Arkansas	15.6%	$9,394	11.3%	76.2%	12.5%
Kansas	26.8%	$9,828	7.4%	56.4%	36.2%
Missouri	22.8%	$9,597	8.9%	42.2%	48.9%
United States	19.8%	$10,700	9.1%	45.6%	45.3%
Sources: NASBO, "State Expenditure Report" (Table 8). U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports" (Table 5 and Table 8).

Revenue breakdowns

See also: Public school system revenues in the U.S. to compare all states.

According to the United States Census Bureau, public school system revenues totaled approximately $598 billion in fiscal year 2013.

In Oklahoma, the primary source of school system revenue was state funding during fiscal year 2013, at $2.9 billion. Oklahoma reported the second highest total public education revenue when compared to its neighboring states.

Revenues by source, fiscal year 2013 (amounts in thousands)
State	Federal revenue	State revenue	Local revenue	Total revenue
Oklahoma	$715,944	$2,890,048	$2,270,083	$5,876,075
Arkansas	$572,096	$3,847,045	$631,643	$5,050,784
Kansas	$420,820	$3,193,838	$2,051,126	$5,665,784
Missouri	$894,168	$4,235,564	$4,900,767	$10,030,499
United States	$54,367,305	$272,916,892	$270,645,402	$597,929,599
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports" (Table 1)

Expenditure breakdowns

See also: Public school system expenditures in the United States

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, public school system expenditures totaled approximately $602 billion in fiscal year 2012.

Public education expenditures in Oklahoma totaled approximately $5.8 billion in fiscal year 2012. Oklahoma reported the second lowest total public education expenditures when compared to its neighboring states. This was very close to the expenditures reported by Arkansas and Kansas, but significantly lower than that of Missouri.

Expenditures by type, fiscal year 2012 (amounts in thousands)
State	General expenditures	Capital outlay	Other	Total expenditures
Oklahoma	$5,170,978	$496,206	$81,793	$5,748,976
Arkansas	$4,606,995	$625,078	$161,257	$5,393,330
Kansas	$4,871,381	$682,545	$205,847	$5,759,773
Missouri	$8,719,925	$894,459	$559,071	$10,173,456
United States	$527,096,473	$48,773,386	$25,897,123	$601,766,981
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, "Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2011–12 (Fiscal Year 2012)" (Table 5)

Personnel salaries

See also: Public school teacher salaries in the United States

Note: Salaries given are averages for the state. Salaries may vary between a state's urban, suburban, and rural districts and should be adjusted for cost of living. For example, a MacIver Institute study of average teacher salaries in 60 metropolitan areas found that salaries in New York City were the third-highest in absolute figures but 59th-highest when adjusted for the cost of living.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average national salary for classroom teachers in public elementary and secondary schools declined by 1.3 percent from the 1999-2000 school year to the 2012-2013 school year. During the same period in Oklahoma, the average salary increased by 3.2 percent.

Estimated average salaries for teachers (in constant dollars**)
	1999-2000	2009-2010	2011-2012	2012-2013	Percent difference
Oklahoma	$42,772	$50,907	$45,130	$44,128	3.2%
Arkansas	$45,625	$49,850	$47,085	$46,632	2.2%
Kansas	$47,805	$49,804	$47,496	$47,464	-0.7%
Missouri	$48,727	$48,373	$47,178	$47,517	-2.5%
United States	$57,133	$58,925	$56,340	$56,383	-1.3%
**"Constant dollars based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, adjusted to a school-year basis. The CPI does not account for differences in inflation rates from state to state."

Organizations

State agencies

See also: Oklahoma State Department of Education

The mission statement of the Oklahoma State Department of Education reads:

“

Our mission at the Oklahoma State Department of Education, is to improve student success through: service to schools, parents and students; leadership for education reform; and regulation/deregulation of state and federal laws to provide accountability while removing any barriers to student success.

”

The Superintendent of Public Instruction is the chief administrative official in the Department of Education. The Superintendent of Public Instruction is elected to four-year terms. Joy Hofmeister was elected to the position in 2014.

The State Board of Education oversees the state's public school system. The board is composed of seven members: the Superintendent of Public Instruction and six members appointed by the governor "with the advice and consent of the senate." Board members serve four-year terms.

Unions

In 2012 the Fordham Institute and Education Reform Now assessed the power and influence of state teacher unions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Their rankings were based on 37 different variables in five broad areas: resources and membership, involvement in politics, scope of bargaining, state policies, and perceived influence. Oklahoma ranked 43rd overall for union power and influence, or "weakest," which was in the fifth of five tiers.

The main unions related to the Oklahoma school system are the Oklahoma Education Association (OEA), a part of the larger National Education Association, and AFT Oklahoma. For the 2003 tax period OEA had $5.21 billion in total assets, $6.66 billion in total income and $6.59 billion in expenses.

List of local Oklahoma school unions:

• Oklahoma Education Association
• AFT Oklahoma
• American Federation Of Teachers (Oklahoma City)
• Putnam City Association Of Classroom Teachers
• Education Support Personnel Of Oklahoma
• Edmond Association Of Classroom Teachers

Government sector lobbying

See also: Oklahoma government sector lobbying

The main education government sector lobbying organization is the Oklahoma State School Boards Association.

Studies and reports

Quality Counts 2014

See also: Education Week survey

Education Week, a publication that reports on many education issues throughout the country, began using an evaluation system in 1997 to grade each state on various elements of education performance. This system, called Quality Counts, uses official data on performance from each state to generate report cards for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report card in 2014 uses six different categories:

1. Chance for success
2. K-12 achievement
3. Standards, assessments and accountability
4. The teaching profession
5. School finance
6. Transitions and alignment

Each of these six categories had a number of other elements that received individual scores. Those scores were then averaged and used to determine the final score in each category. Every state received two types of scores for each of the six major categories: A numerical score out of 100 and a letter grade based on that score. Education Week used the score for the first category, "chance for success," as the value for ranking each state and the District of Columbia. The average grade received in the entire country was 77.3, or a C+ average. The country's highest average score was in the category of "standards, assessments and accountability" at 85.3, or a B average. The lowest average score was in "K-12 achievement", at 70.2, or a C- average.

Oklahoma received a score of 72.2, or a C- average in the "chance for success" category. This was below the national average. The state's highest score was in "standards, assessments and accountability" at 93.3, or an A average. The lowest score was in "K-12 achievement" at 64.2, or a D average. Oklahoma had the lowest score in K-12 achievement when compared to neighboring states. The chart below displays the scores of Oklahoma and its surrounding states.

Note: Click on a column heading to sort the data.

Public education report cards, 2014
State	Chance for success	K-12 achievement	Standards, assessments and accountability	The teaching profession	School finance	Transitions and alignment
Oklahoma	72.2 (C-)	64.2 (D)	93.3 (A)	71.6 (C-)	66.5 (D)	89.3 (B+)
Arkansas	71.8 (C-)	66.7 (D+)	94.4 (A)	88.0 (B+)	74.1 (C)	96.4 (A)
Kansas	81.9 (B-)	68.4 (D+)	81.2 (B-)	67.4 (D+)	74.2 (C)	75.0 (C)
Missouri	77.3 (C+)	66.0 (D)	78.9 (C+)	69.3 (D+)	70.5 (C-)	75.0 (C)
United States	77.3 (C+)	70.2 (C-)	85.3 (B)	72.5 (C)	75.5 (C)	81.1 (B-)
Source: Education Week, "Quality Counts 2014" A full discussion of how these numbers were generated can be found here.

Oklahomans for Responsible Government report

In 2009, Oklahomans for Responsible Government (OFRG), a nonprofit founded in January 2008, released a report about the overall transparency of Oklahoma's school districts. According to the report, 79 of the state’s 531 districts (15 percent) lacked an official website. Additionally, of the 471 districts with technology directors, 59 had no website. The organization maintained that it was not calling for states to establish mandates for the creation of school websites, but rather was reminding schools that according to state law they are required to post public meeting agendas. "Schools, like other public agencies, should always be on the lookout for ways to better inform taxpayers," said Brian Downs, OFRG executive director.

State Budget Solutions education study

See also: State spending on education v. academic performance (2012)

State Budget Solutions examined national trends in education from 2009 to 2011, including state-by-state analysis of education spending, graduation rates and average ACT scores. The study showed that the states that spent the most did not have the highest average ACT test scores, nor did they have the highest average graduation rates. A summary of the study is available here. The full report can be accessed here.

School districts

See also: School board elections portal

District types

Oklahoma has a number of different types of school districts, including:

• Independent school districts
• Elementary school districts
• Technology center school districts

All of these school district types are governed by elected school boards that have some degree of financing power over their school district.

School board composition

School board members are elected by residents of the school district. School boards have varying numbers of members, and those members can serve three-year, four-year, five-year or seven-year terms.

Term limits

Oklahoma does not impose statewide term limits on school boards.

Elections

See also: Oklahoma school board elections, 2025

The table below contains links to all school board elections covered by Ballotpedia in 2025 in this state. This list may not include all school districts with elections in 2025. Ballotpedia's coverage includes all school districts in the 100 largest cities by population and the 200 largest school districts by student enrollment.

Editor's note: Some school districts choose to cancel the primary election, or both the primary and general election, if the number of candidates who filed does not meet a certain threshold. The table below does not reflect which primary or general elections were canceled. Please click through to each school district's page for more information.

2025 Oklahoma School Board Elections
District	Primary	General Election	General Runoff Election	Regular term length	Seats up for election	Total board seats	2022-2023 enrollment
Banner Public Schools	2/11/2025	4/1/2025	N/A	5	1	3	290
Bixby Public Schools	2/11/2025	4/1/2025	N/A	5	1	5	7,800
Broken Arrow Public Schools	2/11/2025	4/1/2025	N/A	5	1	5	20,115
Catoosa Public Schools	2/11/2025	4/1/2025	N/A	5	1	5	1,817
Crooked Oak Public Schools	2/11/2025	4/1/2025	N/A	5	1	5	1,185
Crutcho Public Schools	2/11/2025	4/1/2025	N/A	3	1	3	388
Deer Creek Public Schools	2/11/2025	4/1/2025	N/A	5	1	5	7,636
Edmond Public Schools	2/11/2025	4/1/2025	N/A	5	1	5	26,190
Jenks Public Schools	2/11/2025	4/1/2025	N/A	5	1	5	12,654
Jones Public Schools	2/11/2025	4/1/2025	N/A	5	1	5	1,139
Little Axe Public Schools	2/11/2025	4/1/2025	N/A	5	1	5	1,174
Luther Public Schools	2/11/2025	4/1/2025	N/A	5	1	5	823
McLoud Public Schools	2/11/2025	4/1/2025	N/A	5	1	5	1,667
Midwest City-Del City Schools	2/11/2025	4/1/2025	N/A	5	1	5	12,584
Millwood Public Schools	2/11/2025	4/1/2025	N/A	5	1	5	1,108
Moore Public Schools	2/11/2025	4/1/2025	N/A	5	1	5	24,632
Mustang Public Schools	2/11/2025	4/1/2025	N/A	5	1	5	13,494
Oakdale Public School	2/11/2025	4/1/2025	N/A	3	1	3	720
Oklahoma City Public Schools	2/11/2025	4/1/2025	N/A	4	3	8	33,245
Owasso Public Schools	2/11/2025	4/1/2025	N/A	5	1	5	9,802
Piedmont Public Schools	2/11/2025	4/1/2025	N/A	5	2	5	5,056
Putnam City Schools	2/11/2025	4/1/2025	N/A	5	1	5	18,905
Tulsa Public Schools	2/11/2025	4/1/2025	N/A	4	2	7	33,871
Union Public Schools	2/11/2025	4/1/2025	N/A	5	1	5	14,890
Western Heights Public Schools	2/11/2025	4/1/2025	N/A	5	1	5	2,858
Yukon Public Schools	2/11/2025	4/1/2025	N/A	5	1	5	9,449

Path to the ballot

In order to qualify as a candidate, an individual must:

• Be a resident and registered voter in the school district the candidate seeks to represent for at least six months before the filing period for the election begins.
• Not have been convicted of a felony by federal or state law or have been convicted of a misdemeanor involving embezzlement.
• Have a high school diploma or equivalent certificate.
• If an incumbent, have taken the required number of continuing education credits.
• Not be related by second degree or more by blood or marriage to an employee of the school district or current member of the school board.

To get on the ballot, school board candidates must file election documents with their county elections department during the filing period.

Campaign finance

School board candidates that intend to receive or spend $500 or more during their campaign are required to file campaign finance reports for all contributions and expenditures. These reports must be filed with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission. Before filing these reports, candidates must file forms to designate a campaign agent and a register a committee.

Recent legislation

The following is a list of recent education bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Oklahoma state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.

Education ballot measures

See also: Education on the ballot and List of Oklahoma ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked the following statewide ballot measures relating to education.

1. Oklahoma One Percent Sales Tax, State Question 779 (2016)
2. Oklahoma State Question 639, Replace House Bill 1017 and Education Changes Initiative (October 1991)

In the news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Oklahoma education policy. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Public education in Oklahoma - Google News

See also

• Historical public education information in Oklahoma
• Oklahoma state budget and finances
• Oklahoma Department of Education
• List of school districts in Oklahoma
• School choice in Oklahoma
• Charter schools in Oklahoma
• Oklahoma
• Education Policy in the U.S.

External links

• Oklahoma State Department of Education
• Oklahoma State School Boards Association

Footnotes

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