Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Oklahoma Legislature, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
2 1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
3 HOUSE BILL 1280 By: Caldwell (Chad)
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6 AS INTRODUCED
7 An Act relating to schools; requiring school district
to spend certain percentage of budget on
8 instructional expenditures; mandating annual increase
to comply with requirement; providing for written
9 warning notice for failure to comply; directing
warning notice be posted on district website;
10 requiring increased compensation for failure to
comply for four consecutive years; mandating
11 permanent compensation increase; defining terms;
providing for codification; providing an effective
12 date; and declaring an emergency.
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15 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
16 SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
17 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 5-128.3 of Title 70, unless
18 there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
19 A. Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, the board of
20 education of each school district in the state shall spend no less
21 than sixty percent (60%) of its annual budget on instructional
22 expenditures.
23 B. If a school district spends less than sixty percent (60%) of
24 its annual budget on instructional expenditures, it shall increase
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1 its instructional expenditures by no less than two percent (2%) each
2 year until the amount spent on instructional expenditures reaches
3 sixty percent (60%) of its annual budget.
4 C. If a school district spends less than sixty percent (60%) of
5 its annual budget on instructional expenditures and does not
6 increase its spending as provided in subsection B of this section,
7 the school district shall receive a written warning notice from the
8 State Department of Education. The notice shall also be posted on
9 the website of the school district.
10 D. If a school district spends less than sixty percent (60%) of
11 its annual budget on instructional expenditures and does not
12 increase its spending as provided in subsection B of this section
13 for four (4) consecutive years after receiving the notice provided
14 in subsection C of this section, the school district shall increase
15 compensation for all teachers in the school district by two percent
16 (2%) for each year in that period in which the school district did
17 not increase instructional expenditures by a minimum of two percent
18 (2%). The pay increase required pursuant to this subsection shall
19 be permanent.
20 E. As used in this section:
21 1. "Annual budget" means a plan of financial operations using
22 revenues contributed from local, state, and federal sources but
23 shall not include revenue received from bond sales, the sale of
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1 property or equipment, school fundraisers, or nonprofit organization
2 contributions or grants; and
3 2. "Instructional expenditures" means instruction and
4 instruction-related expenditures as defined by the National Center
5 for Education Statistics, a federal entity within the United States
6 Department of Education.
7 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.
8 SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
9 of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
10 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
11 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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13 60-1-12147 MAH 01/11/25
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Req. No. 12147 Page 3Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.