November 25, 2023 Issue, Page 7 of 8

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November 25, 2023 The Elk City News - 7 Fewer Than 1 in 4 High Schools on Track State Spending $4 to Meet A.P. Minimum Million To Set Up At Bixby High School, Only a quarter of high To meet the new state re- Karch said. students have at least 19 Ad- vanced schools met that bar last quirement, schools can offer Some rural school leaders Placement courses school year, according to an A.P. in a traditional classroom said they offer A.P. courses Private School Tax available, including four phys- Oklahoma Watch analysis of setting, partner with a nearby but students don’t take them. ics options, three art classes, data from the College Board, school district or technol- That's because many prefer and a slate of others. which runs A.P. ogy center, or offer courses concurrent enrollment, where Credit Program Those A.P, classes can boost Half didn’t have any AP. through an online provider. earning college credit doesn’t students’ grade-point average classes at all. Horizon, an online learn- hinge on a single high-stakes above a coveted 4.0 because in Schools with the most ing platform under the State- test and instead is based on ‘The state is spending almost $4 million with a contractor to some districts, such as Bixby, courses are in urban and sub- wide Virtual Charter School performance throughout the set up and administer a new private school tax credit program. the classes are worth five or urban schools. Schools with Board, offered 11 A.P. courses course. ‘That's four times what the Oklahoma Tax Commission estimated even six points. Students can few or no A.P. offerings are last year, according to College State funding covers the in the spring when lawmakers were finalizing the policy. also earn college credit by scor- more likely to be in rural com- Board data. It added three this cost of tuition for high school ‘The Parental Choice Tax Credit sets up a refundable income ing well on the final exam. munities. year and will continue to ex- juniors and seniors taking con- tax credit of up to $7,500 per child for private school expenses. Bixby, a suburban high “Just because you live in pand next year, said Lisa Dan- current classes, up to a certain Lawmakers capped the overall cost of the program at $150 mil- school with 2,000 students, is a rural community, it should iels, director of Horizons. Most number of hours, and some lion in tax year 2024, rising to $250 million in tax year 2026. nine miles from Liberty High not eliminate you from having are free for Oklahoma schools districts cover the fees. More than 32,000 students are in private elementary or second- School in Mounds, with a access to really great courses, and include the coursework “Students here can take col- ary schools in Oklahoma. student count of 152. At Lib- especially if you want to take and teacher. lege classes for free and know Merit International Inc. will be responsible for working with erty, no A.P. classes are being them,” Baker said. “It’s a struggle for rural if they pass that class, they're schools and parents to educate them on claiming the tax credits. taught. Principal Trina Evans AP. was created in the schools to find teachers,” Dan- going to get college credit,” said ‘The application process will use Merit’s software platform. The said the school offers a few, but 1950s to provide an academic iels said. “Or they may only Doug Tolson, principal of Alex company will train Tax Commission employees and school repre- didn’t have any students sign challenge to a small, elite group have one student (taking an High School, 45 miles south of sentatives to use the software. up. of high school students; the AP. dass). That's something Oklahoma City. ‘The Tax Commission said it chose Merit because it had experi- ence setting up similar educational programs in other states. It To meet a new state law re- In Tolson’s 30 years at the quiring a minimum of four A.P. program expanded significant- we can handle.” district, very few students also faced a compressed timeline for implementation of House classes, Evans said they'll try ly starting in the 2000s to close sue Staffing is the biggest is- have chosen to take A.P. class- Bill 1934, The commission has a one-year, $3.95 million contract to offer A.P. biology and his- achievement gaps and improve Highat School,the 275-student Morris has one es, he said. with Merit, agency spokeswoman Emily Haxton said in an Oct. tory in person, and a handful college readiness. Now, the A.P. class this which year taught by Baker, the state represen- 31 email. of other courses through an courses reach more than 2.6 the school’s only A.P. certified tative, said the most impor- ‘That expense is far beyond initial estimates. The Tax Commis- online platform. million high school students tant part is ensuring students sion estimated it would take $1 million in administrative costs teacher, said Superintendent “I understand the desire nationwide. in all schools at least have the in the current fiscal year to set up the program, according to a Chris Karch. Sixteen students and the wish for our students ‘The courses are more rigor- this year enrolled in the A.P. choice. fiscal impact statement the agency provided lawmakers in May. to have these opportunities, ous than a typical high school World History class. “[ don't want the argu- It estimated another $706,000 in administrative costs for fiscal but what's challenging about class and on par with college- ment to be, ‘Look, our kids are year 2025. “We don’t have the staff for Daniel Seitz, a spokesman for House Speaker Charles McCall, it, in a school our size ... offer- level work. But the most crucial behind, we shouldn’t worry more,” Karch said. ing four A.P. classes might not about advanced placement,” R-Atoka, said lawmakers appropriated $1 million to the Tax Com- difference is the end-of-course Morris, 45 miles south of mission for administrative costs. Any costs above that would have be what our student popula- Baker said. “If a child is will- exam. Students who score 3 or Tulsa in eastern Oklahoma, tion needs,” Evans said. ing to put the effort in and the to be absorbed by the agency’s budget, Seitz said. They would not By the 2024-25 school year, higher (on a scale of 1 to 5) can will use an online platform to work to be able to be successful come out of the cap available for the private school tax credits. all of Oklahoma’s 471 public receive college credit for the meet the minimum next year. at something like this, we've Tax commissioners discussed the contract at their Sept. 12 high schools will be required to class, depending on the college person Even so, students may need in- support from a teacher, got to be able to give them the meeting. Haxton said discussions are ongoing to see if the Tax offer at least four A.P. courses. or university they attend. opportunity.” Commission would be reimbursed for the agency portion of the contract. Sen. Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City, said she remains concerned New Oklahoma law extends marijuana about transparency, fraud and accountability under the private school tax credit program. “Are we going to have any view into this vendor on who's au- thorizing them and how they're authorizing them?” Kirt said. business license moratorium until 2026 “There's nothing in the legislation requiring a release of data oth- er than the number of credits. I have big concerns about a third- KLAHOMA CITY — Lawmakers ex- 5,390 licensed growers, 2,602 dispensa- party vendor and how they're going to be held accountable. Will attributed to numerous factors, including tended a moratorium on new medical increased enforcement of the state’s medi- ries and 1,575 processors, she said. data be accessible through open records? Tax Commission data is marijuana business licenses for two more cal marijuana laws and a more rigorous li- Owners of commercial marijuana busi- generally not unless specifically authorized.” years as the state tries to get a handle on censing process. nesses are still able to sell or transfer their Merit has contracts with Ohio and Kansas to administer the exploding industry. ‘The number of licensed growers across license to another interested party. education-related tax credits, vouchers and educational savings A new state law extends a two-year the state has dropped by nearly 2,000 A report the Medical Marijuana Au- accounts. The Ohio Department of Education paid Merit $2.25 pause on granting new cannabis licenses businesses since the moratorium took ef- thority commissioned last year found million in fiscal year 2023 to administer an educational savings for dispensaries, growers and processors fect, according to information provided by Oklahoma has 32 times more regulated account program for after-school activities, according to Ohio into a four-year moratorium. the Medical Marijuana Authority. marijuana than necessary to meet patient ‘The pause does not affect the state's But the number of licensed dispensa- demand. Some business owners complain purchasing Merit’s documents. contract with the Oklahoma Tax Commission wasn’t 339,938 medical marijuana patients and ries and processors increased because a that Oklahoma's industry is both oversat- other license holders. deluge of new applicants requested licens- urated in the amount of available cannabis bid out in a full purchasing proposal. Instead, the Tax Commis- The moratorium that was initially es just before the moratorium took effect. and the number of marijuana businesses, sion picked Merit from a list of approved contractors compiled scheduled to end next summer will now Because the Medical Marijuana Authority making it hard to turn a profit. by the Oklahoma Management and Enterprise Services under a end Aug. 1, 2026, due to a law that took had 90 days to process the applications, Oklahoma currently has 9,798 licensed statewide contract for IT deliverable-based services, Haxton said. effect Nov. 1. the number of licensed businesses partly cannabis businesses, down from 11,437 “Merit’s pricing structure is cost-effective and considers the Now more than a year into the mora- grew despite the pause on licenses, Riley this time last year. judicious use of public funds,” the company said in its statement torium, the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana said. Oklahoma voters legalized medical of work to the Tax Commission. “Merit delivers ‘Software with a Authority is starting to see a decrease in li- When the moratorium took effect Aug. marijuana in 2018, but earlier this year all Service’ (SwaS), not just software. This means our team will work cense numbers, said agency spokesperson 26, 2022, Oklahoma had 7,285 licensed 77 counties resoundingly rejected a state to ensure program success, even as the goals evolve.” Porsha Riley. But she said the decrease in growers, 2,374 dispensaries and 1,464 question that would have legalized recre- ‘The Tax Commission approved emergency rules for the pri- the number of cannabis businesses can be processors. As of last week, the state had ational marijuana. vate school tax credit program at its Oct. 24 meeting after re- ceiving hundreds of public comments. Many commenters were Oklahoma board wants proposed textbooks concerned about the mismatch between taking the credit for a tax year, which mirrors the calendar year, and the school year. Commissioners recognized the problem but said the Legislature altered after Moms for Liberty complained would have to resolve that issue. “Throughout the process, we were trying to simplify the tax- payer experience and simplify the school experience, while still OKLAHOMA CITY — A emotions, make good deci- when you feel sad?” when she's said spokesperson Tyler Reed. maintaining an adequate level of controls in place to make sure state board requested a major sions and relate to others. trying to teach math. “We look forward to work-the money gets to where it needs to go to,” the agency's executive publisher remove portions of Committee Chairwoman “I don’t have the time or ing collaboratively with the director, Doug Linehan, told commissioners. its math textbooks for stu- Kendra Wesson, a State Board the knowledge to be a certi- (Department of Education) Another state vendor, PCG Scholar, administers the Lindsey dents in pre-K through fifth of Education member State fied counselor ... if those kids to ensure our math materials Nicole Henry Scholarship, a voucher program for students with Superintendent Ryan Walters were to give me a really hard grade after a local conservative are available to students and disabilities or other special needs. Lawmakers created that pro- group complained. tapped to lead the textbook answer,” she said. instructors across the state,”gram in 2010, but it faced legal hurdles before reaching full im- approval process, did not men- She called that portion of plementation. The State Department of Education oversees the Despite the textbooks re- the books “a waste” and ex- Reed said. ceiving the top rating from a tion Moms for Liberty when If the board does not en- Lindsey Nicole Henry program, which served more than 1,350 pressed concerns that such review team made up of dozens she objected to portions of the questions would distract edu- dorse the McGraw Hill text- students in the 2022-23 school year, according to the Education McGraw Hill books. Department. of teachers, the chairwoman Wesson said parts of the cators from teaching the fun- books, elementary schools will of the Oklahoma State Text- books don’t specifically focus damentals of math. have few options that could be book Committee on Friday on teaching children how to Jay Rotert, another board purchased using state dollars. asked McGraw Hill to remove do math. In the pre-K through member, wondered if pushing In that scenario, there the “math thoughts” sections second grade textbooks, she back to 2024 a vote on adopt- would be just one approved in its “Reveal Math” books in pointed to a section that she ing McGraw Hill’s textbooks vendor for pre-K through sec- order to receive approval from said asks questions like, “What would leave the company ond grade and three vendors enough time to get the new Available tov the board. helps you feel calm when you're for math textbooks for chil- If the publisher does not angry?” and “How can you act materials into classrooms for dren in third through fifth make the requested changes, with your classmates to build a the next school year. Citing the top ratings the grades. the Reveal Math books won't safe classroom culture?” have things in a math review team gave the text- At least eight textbook PICKUP ev DELIVERY be added to a list of approved book“Wethat are not related to books, board vice-chair Kath- publishers withdrew from con- titles that districts can pur- math, that are completely ryn Szallar expressed opti- sideration this year, leaving $50 $75 chase using state textbook separate from that,” she said. mism that McGraw Hill could funds. However, districts can make the requested changes. the state with a limited num- “I don’t want to give up five, ber of new textbooks for con- purchase unapproved text- 10, 15 minutes of math time “They do exemplify quality, books using other funding for things that are not related and I do think those are the sideration. sources. to math.” kinds of textbooks we would ‘This is the first cycle for the In a previous meeting, the In the companion teach- want in our classrooms,” she textbook committee to review 6 Months 1 Year head of the Tulsa chapter of ers’ manual, Wesson flagged said, proposed educational materi- conservative parents’ rights portions of a “math mindset” ‘The board voted to provi- Add the e-paper to a print subscription for. per month als since Walters took office in group Moms for Liberty criti- section that included suggest- sionally approve the textbooks cized the same elementary ed questions like, “Were you contingent upon McGraw Hill January. The new superinten- relaxed school textbooks, claiming math today?” or frustrated during making the requested changes. dent previously accused text- The board plans to revisit the book companies of trying to they contain social-emotional Board member Jessica issue at its next meeting. learning concepts that don't Thompson, a fourth grade ‘The company will reach out indoctrinate students and has “ElkCituNews belong in math classes. Social- teacher, said she doesn’t have to the State Department of Ed- said it’s a good thing some ven- emotional learning teaches time to ask her students ques- ucation to get further details dors pulled out of the selection 109 W. Broadway children how to manage their tions like, “What do you do about the requested changes, process. 580-225-3000 - www.elkcityoknews.com