Okla. Secretary of Education threatens to reject federal funds going toward public schools
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — The governor's Secretary of Education Ryan Walters says he wants to reject any federal dollars that go to public education in the state, if it doesn't live up to what he says are Oklahoma values.
Fox 25 spoke with Walters, and he said nothing is off the table, including the free and reduced lunch program that more than 400,000 Oklahoma kids rely on.
"By rejecting these funding, we are literally causing students to go hungry," said Rep. Logan Phillips, R-District 24.
A lot of reaction came pouring in after Walters made a post on social media on Wednesday.
A video shows Walters talking to folks in Shawnee saying "the feds they need to get out" and that he's phasing away federal dollars in public education.
In his original post, he clarifies he wants more scrutiny but doesn't close the door on rejecting those funds.
"I've had several questions lately, then federal programs and federal money coming into the state," Walters said. "Every dollar that the state uses for education should be viewed with these three criteria. Make sure any money coming from the feds doesn't have mandates or string attached."
Fox 25 spoke to Walters to clarify on the video, asking if he would consider free and reduced lunches if there was a mandate attached.
"I have been talking to teachers and administrators across the state to ask about all these programs," Walters said. "What are they telling me? What are the strings attached? What is the problem with these programs? Cause I'm gonna fight Joe Biden, I'm gonna tell him 'we're not gonna do this, we're not going to accept these string and mandates and that's where this fight has to occur.'"
Phillips also commented on Walter's post, saying rejecting state funding would have a huge impact on a slew of programs, like meals for kids.
"We have 698,000 plus change of our students that are in public education in Oklahoma," Phillips said. "62.2% of them in one program through free and reduced lunches use federal funds to feed Oklahomans. If we reject federal funding in the state of Oklahoma the public education system will implode."
And Phillips added, there is already transparency on how the funds are spent.
"There is not a public school in the state of Oklahoma that you can not go and look at the audit, look at their expenditures and see exactly how every single penny is being spent," Phillips said. "We have school boards, we have parents involvement, community involvement. Public education is transparent, engaged and able to be reached at the lowest level of government. This is not needed."
About 9% to 13% of the state's education budget is federally funded.
Federally funded programs also include:
- Special education
- Career training
- Tutoring programs
- After school programs
- USDA grants
- Gants systems for technology in classrooms
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