State Schools Superintendent Ryan Walters has recently made headlines by threatening to hold “rogue” public school districts in Oklahoma accountable if they refuse to incorporate the Bible into their curriculum. This move has sparked controversy and raised questions about the role of religion in public education.
A federal performance review of the Oklahoma State Department of Education has further added fuel to the fire, revealing serious concerns about the agency’s spending practices. U.S. officials, including state lawmakers, have raised questions about how the state agency has handled approximately $2.72 billion in federal funds allocated for kindergarten through 12th-grade education.
The 98-page report, dated July 25, highlighted various areas where the state agency fell short in terms of fiscal and program monitoring indicators. The U.S. Department of Education conducted the review to provide oversight and support to state agencies administering federal grant programs. The report revealed that Oklahoma received low ratings in many categories, indicating areas that require urgent attention.
One of the key issues raised in the report was the lack of effective internal controls over federal awards within the state agency. The federal agency emphasized the importance of maintaining proper controls to ensure compliance with federal statutes and regulations. It also noted instances where the state agency lacked written procedures or failed to provide records related to the use of federal grant funds.
The federal report also highlighted concerns about how the state agency spent federal funds, pointing out instances of misallocation and non-compliance with federal requirements. For example, the state agency misidentified non-Title I schools as low-performing and incorrectly allocated federal school improvement funds to those districts. Additionally, the agency failed to meet language accessibility requirements for state and local report cards, impacting parents and stakeholders who speak languages other than English.
Furthermore, the report raised issues regarding the state agency’s handling of Title I funds, the Rural Low-Income Schools program, and COVID-era federal funding. It called for the state agency to provide evidence of compliance with federal program requirements, update policies and procedures, and address gaps in its internal control over federal awards.
In response to the federal report, a spokesman for the state agency blamed the issues on turnover within the organization and the policies in place during the previous school year. The spokesman stated that the agency has been working diligently to address the findings and will resolve all issues by the deadline set by the federal agency.
The controversy surrounding the state agency’s handling of federal funds and the push to incorporate the Bible into public school curriculums have raised concerns about the state of education in Oklahoma. As the debate continues, it remains to be seen how state officials, educators, and the public will address these issues and ensure that students receive a quality education that meets both academic and legal standards.
