Supplemental Funding Bill-Contact your Legislator

There is still no supplemental funding for our schools. Read the latest on the issue at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/state.aspx.

Below are just a few school districts that are already considering which certified teachers and support employees will be reduced if a supplemental appropriation for common education is not immediately received:

Henryetta
Gore
Coalgate
Chisholm
Chickasha
Catoosa – have already dismissed 6 certified and more than 20 support employees!
Tulsa Tech Center
Liberty Schools in the Tulsa area
Tahlequah
Claremore – will not renew contracts for 20 of the 40 new teachers
Deer Creek/Lamont


CONTACT OUR LAWMAKERS
Last year the State Legislature approved teacher pay raises but failed to fund the fixed costs attached to those raises, leaving individual school districts on the hook for millions of dollars. With fixed incomes and a projected deficit totaling more than $56 million, school districts like ours will be forced to make very tough choices about balancing their budgets. (See details of the fixed costs.)

Take Action Now! In less than 60 seconds, you can tell our lawmakers to support public education and support funding for educator pay raises that the Legislature has already mandated.

THE $56 MILLION QUESTION
If the State Legislature does not approve additional funding, our school district will face budget deficits that could cripple us financially and throw our schools — and teachers like us — into disarray. School districts will likely cope with this shortfall by cutting education programs and jobs. The real question is which ones?

The first education programs cut will mostly likely be arts, physical education and other non-tested subjects. The first jobs to go will likely be those belonging to support professionals, the good people who drive school buses, clean classrooms, serve school lunches, maintain school buildings, and more.

But in the end it will be our students who suffer the most, when classroom teachers like us will be forced to do more with less.

ACT NOW
Don't let the State Legislature sandbag public education with unfunded mandates. You can make a difference in less than 60 seconds. Tell our lawmakers to stand up for teachers and students. Tell our lawmakers to support full and adequate funding for the pay raises they've already mandated.