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Oklahoma Education Legislative Update: May 2026
The Big Picture
Lawmakers are approaching the end of the session with the major education package largely finalized. The FY 2027 state budget was signed early, securing funding for teacher pay, literacy/math initiatives, and health insurance. Legislative leadership indicates that the primary policy goals for the year have been met.
✅ Signed Into Law
SB 1778: Strong Readers Act
- Status: Signed April 21.
- Details: One of the session’s most significant bills. It mandates enhanced early literacy screening, intervention, and teacher training. Crucially, it reinstates stricter third-grade retention requirements for students not meeting reading benchmarks (with specific exemptions).
SB 1481: Elementary Recess
- Status: Signed April 22.
- Details: Increases the mandatory daily recess for full-day K-5 students from 20 minutes to 40 minutes. It explicitly prohibits schools from withholding recess as a form of disciplinary action.
FY 2027 State Budget
- Status: Signed and Enacted.
- Education Highlights:
- $85 Million for teacher pay raises.
- $80 Million for targeted reading and math initiatives.
- $27.3 Million to cover teacher health insurance premium increases.
- $25 Million increase to the Parental Choice Tax Credit cap.
📩 On the Governor’s Desk / Final Stages
SB 201: Teacher Pay Raise
- Status: Sent to Governor Stitt on May 4.
- Details: Increases the state minimum salary schedule by $2,000 across all tiers starting next school year. A starting teacher with a bachelor’s degree will see a minimum increase from $39,601 to $41,601.
HB 3151: Longer School Year
- Status: Awaiting Governor’s signature (sent late April).
- Details: Raises the minimum instructional year from 166 to 173 days starting in the 2027-28 school year. The 1,086-hour requirement remains, and schools must offer an in-person option for parent-teacher conferences.
HB 1276: Bell to Bell No Cell
- Status: Passed both chambers; awaiting final executive action.
- Details: Makes permanent the restrictions on student cellphone and personal electronic device use during instructional time, with limited exceptions for emergencies or medical needs.
HB 3705: Parental Choice Tax Credit Cap
- Status: Final legislative approval pending (passed House).
- Details: Increases the total cap for the private school tax credit program from $250 million to $275 million.
🔄 Still Moving / In Process
SB 1360: Math Improvement Act
- Status: Currently in the House (passed Committee April 22).
- Details: Establishes the Oklahoma Math Achievement and Proficiency Act. It focuses on elementary numeracy, creating a math improvement office, and providing diagnostic screening instruments for students.
SB 1189: School Security Revolving Fund
- Status: Moving through House Appropriations.
- Details: Proposes $50 million annually for three years (starting July 2026) to fund School Resource Officers (SROs), security equipment, and infrastructure upgrades.
HB 3638: Summer EBT Program
- Status: In Senate Committee.
- Details: Would require Oklahoma’s participation in the federal Summer EBT program starting in 2027 to provide food assistance to eligible children during summer break.
⚠️ Stalled or Unlikely to Pass
HB 3032: Universal Meal Forms
- Status: Stalled.
- Details: Aimed to require families to submit or “opt-out” of free/reduced-price meal forms to ensure more accurate school funding data. It has seen no significant movement since early February.
OEF Takeaway
The 2026 legislative session signals a return to foundational accountability. For OEF, the core victories are the Strong Readers Act (SB 1778), the Math Improvement Act (SB 1360), and the $2,000 teacher pay raise. The state is pivoting toward more “time on task” with a longer school year and a push for distraction-free classrooms.