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Many onlookers predicted the recent surge in private school tuition prices, reported this week by Oklahoma Watch intern Ruby Topalian. It happened in other states that approved private school subsidy programs. Critics of Oklahoma’s Parental Choice Tax Credit warned it would happen here, too.

So we checked. Using archived webpages, Topalian compared last year’s tuition to this year’s at all participating schools that publish prices online. She also interviewed a number of school leaders.

It’s no coincidence that many schools hiked tuition. At a handful of schools, it went up to an amount that mirrored the maximum tax credit: $7,500 per year. In many cases, families will pay the same, with taxpayers picking up the difference. The state allocated $150 million for 2024 and pledged to increase the budget to $200 million in 2025, maxing out at $250 million in 2026. Read her story.

Also this week, Republican lawmaker Mark McBride requested a House impeachment investigation into Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters. His letter to House Speaker Charles McCall is signed by 16 additional Republican representatives, but McCall responded by saying he won’t consider it unless at least 51 Republicans sign on.

McBride confirmed that as of Wednesday evening, the number stood at 25.

Comments, questions, story ideas? Please reach out via email or direct message.

— Jennifer Palmer

Recommended Reading

  • The Department of Education failed to fully implement the paid maternity leave for teachers approved by the Legislature, leaving school districts in the lurch. [Tulsa World]
  • Following weeks of delays, the Statewide Charter School Board rescinded its contract with a Catholic virtual school to comply with the Oklahoma Supreme Court. [Oklahoma Watch]
  • Schools around the country are racing to ban student cell phones. [The New York Times]

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