OKLAHOMA CITY — Repeated lack of communication from State Superintendent Ryan Walters’ administration led to delays in distributing school funds and complaints from school districts, a legislative investigation has found.
The Legislative Office for Fiscal Transparency investigated a variety of legislators’ concerns about the Oklahoma Department of Education, all related to schools receiving funding and information in a timely manner. LOFT staff presented their findings to House members at the State Capitol on Tuesday.
Walters called the hearing “a complete waste of the people of Oklahoma.” He criticized the LOFT investigation as a “plot” by House Speaker Charles McCaul and Representative Mark McBride to cause political damage.
Rep. Mark McBride (R-Moore) spoke with Rep. Meloyd Blanchett (D-Tulsa) on Thursday before the Legislative Fiscal Transparency committee meeting at the Oklahoma State Capitol. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)
McBride, R-Moore, wrote a letter in August saying Walters had committed an impeachable offense after lawmakers raised multiple concerns about the Department of Education’s appropriate allocation of funds to schools. I asked for an investigation into whether or not this was the case. More than 20 House Republicans signed the letter.
McCall (R-Atoka) killed any possibility of impeachment hearings, but allowed House budget leader Rep. Kevin Wallace (R-Wellston) to launch an investigation into LOFT. LOFT makes budget recommendations to Congress and examines how state tax dollars are spent.
McBride said he does not believe the issues raised in the LOFT report warrant impeachment. He said the hearing remained a valuable “teaching moment” for the Walters administration about the need for communication.
“Anytime your boss calls you into the office and wants to talk about how funds are being used, it’s not a waste of time,” McBride says.
Wallace similarly disagreed with Walters’ comments.
Rep. Kevin Wallace (R-Wellston) will lead a Fiscal Transparency Legislative Office committee meeting Thursday at the Oklahoma State Capitol. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)
“I know some comments were made that coming here today was a waste of time,” Wallace said at the end of the hearing. “I think we got good information in today’s presentation. I think the public is more informed and educated. I always like being educated myself. Transparency is always good. .”
LOFT said the Department of Education faces the understandable challenges of opaque legislation and unfunded mandates while implementing new programs, which could lead to issues such as school pay increases, maternity leave for teachers, asthma inhalers, and school resource officers. It was discovered that this resulted in delays in the distribution of funds.
LOFT researchers say some of these delays could have been shortened, and concerns from lawmakers and constituents allayed, if the Department of Education had communicated better internally and with Congress. said.
LOFT’s report notes that the Department of Education easily dismissed complaints from school districts that it did not share annual federal funding projections. District leaders said the delays hampered budget preparation.
The agency’s previous administration provided early notification of annual allocations to the federal government each May, but Walters’ staff was “not aware” this had occurred, LOFT reported. The Department of Education has experienced significant staff turnover since Walters replaced former Superintendent Joy Hoffmeister.
“The agency was overconfident that these communications never occurred and, as a result, dismissed legitimate complaints from the district,” the report states.
When the Bixby Public Schools superintendent complained about delays, Walters called him a “liar,” a “clown” and a “true embarrassment.” Superintendent Rob Miller filed a defamation lawsuit against Walters over the comment.
LOFT staff found that the Department of Education conducted an acceptable additional review of how school districts plan to spend federal funds. The added round of review nearly doubles the amount of time school districts can receive their federal allocations.
The agency never told school districts that the process would be delayed, so school leaders were “understandably surprised” last year when they had to wait twice as long to access federal funds. ” states the report.
LOFT reported that it took the agency an average of 70 days to approve a district’s federal funding plan, compared with an average of less than 29 days in previous years.
District superintendents complained of poor communication from the Department of Education and frustratingly slow approval times. At the time, agency spokesman Dan Isett called the criticism a “pathetic attempt” to embarrass Walters and his administration.
State Superintendent Ryan Walters listens to a report on his administration from the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency during a meeting with lawmakers Thursday at the state Capitol. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)
Walters on Tuesday disputed claims that the administration failed to communicate. He said the agency regularly sends information to schools, but “we can’t get schools to open the emails.”
LOFT proposed that Congress require the Department of Education to submit an implementation plan for new programs within 90 days of the program’s start date. Lawmakers could take steps to provide greater clarity when setting new funding obligations, the report said.
Improving communication within the Department of Education would help prevent staff turnover and ensure schools receive accurate guidance, Loft advised. LOFT asked the agency to resume sharing preliminary federal allocation numbers so school districts can determine whether to expect increases or decreases.
Asked if there was anything the administration could do better, Walters said his staff was considering LOFT’s recommendations, but called the hearing a “political stunt.”
“We will continue to hold school districts accountable for how our tax dollars are spent,” Walters told reporters afterward. “I will not back down from doing what the voters of Oklahoma elected me to do. It represents the taxpayers, parents and students of Oklahoma, and I will not apologize for it. ”
House Democrats on the LOFT committee criticized Walters for refusing accountability for the issues raised in the report.
“If the (Department of Education) can’t admit it can do better, that’s a serious problem,” said Rep. Meloyd Blansett, D-Tulsa.
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