Oklahoma leverages private funds to help students through the Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarships program. Nonprofit organizations receive charitable donations to support rural public schools or to grant scholarships for students to attend private schools; donors to these organizations receive a state tax credit. This program is already helping children who were bullied, have special needs, or for many other reasons, needed a specialized education program. Unfortunately, this program is currently capped, limiting the number of students who can benefit.

During this legislative session, OCPA will continue advocating for Oklahoma children by encouraging legislators to raise the cap for this successful program by supporting SB 407. It is estimated that this bill will allow up to 5,000 more children to benefit from privately-funded scholarships and inject up to $27 million in private funding into traditional public schools in Oklahoma. Not only that—it would also give parents more freedom to direct the education of their own children.