State Superintendent reacts to $46.7 million reduction in funding

OKLAHOMA CITY — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister says Oklahoma educators will do what needs to be done to protect classroom instruction. The comment on Wednesday comes after the Office of Management and Enterprise Services announced state agencies will receive a three-percent cut for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2016 as the result of a state revenue failure.

That amounts to a $46.7 million reduction in funding for preK-12 public education between January and June of 2016.

“Now that we know the extent of the cut for the remainder of the fiscal year, school districts will soon be able to plan accordingly,” Hofmeister said in a release.

“The reduced funding was inevitable in the wake of the revenue failure, but I know that the Oklahoma State Department of Education and district leaders statewide are committed to lessening the impact on students as much as possible.”

Hofmeister went on to say each school district will not be affected equally.

“Some districts rely on state aid for upwards of 90 percent of their budget. Others, particularly those in western Oklahoma, will feel very little impact from this cut. Within the next two weeks, districts across the state will receive a mid-year adjustment that reflects the revised figures.”