Senator Seifried Touts Senate Education Plan to Provide Teacher Pay Raises

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore, today joined Senate GOP leaders in unveiling an education funding plan that includes $2,500 across-the-board pay raises for all Oklahoma teachers.

As vice chair of the Senate Education Committee, Seifried joined Senate leaders in announcing the Senate’s plan to invest an additional $254 million in education in the upcoming fiscal year.

“This plan redirects existing taxpayer dollars to provide pay raises for our dedicated educators so we can keep our best and brightest classroom teachers here in Oklahoma,” Seifried said. “Without raising taxes or increasing state spending, we’re proposing a full range of classroom investments to ensure every student gets a quality education. By investing in our students, we’re giving them the tools they need to succeed in school, excel in the workforce and help our state thrive.”

This new investment in education would include $2,500 pay raises for all teachers, $50 million in early literacy initiatives to boost reading proficiency, $10 million for literacy coaches and another $29.8 million added into the school funding formula. The proposed plan would also expand school choice options for Oklahoma families. It would increase funding for Parental Choice Tax Credits by $25 million because the program is currently at 98.4% of its capacity.  

Seifried highlighted that the plan includes $10 million to support her legislation to strengthen math instruction in public schools.

The funding would be tied to Senate Bill 1360, which creates a three-year pilot program to establish math instructional teams that would provide targeted professional development to help teachers support both struggling students and those who excel in math. This legislation builds on the Oklahoma Math Achievement and Proficiency Act, which Seifried passed last year, to implement regular math screenings for students in grades two through five.

“While we’ve made literacy a top priority this session, we cannot afford to ignore that many students are also struggling to learn basic math skills,” Seifried said. “Only 17% of Oklahoma eighth graders are proficient in math, which should be a wake-up call for the state. When students master math, they’re better prepared to enter the workforce and pursue careers in critical fields. This investment will equip teachers with the training and support they need to identify learning gaps, strengthen instruction and make sure all students develop the core math skills they need to be set up for long-term success.”

This education funding plan is budget-neutral for the state because it utilizes existing taxpayer dollars. For more than two decades, the Legislature has contributed a portion of income, sales and use taxes to the Oklahoma Teachers’ Retirement System above and beyond employer contributions and employee contributions. In the next fiscal year, this funding is estimated to be $454 million. This direct allocation of state funding began in 2003 to stabilize the fund when it was not fiscally solvent. Since then, the Legislature has contributed more than $7 billion to stabilize the fund.

Under the Senate’s education plan, future income, sales and use tax contributions to the pension system would be capped at an additional $200 million. This would allow the Legislature to continue investing in the pension system while also funding immediate education needs.

For additional details on the Senate’s education funding plan, click here.

-END-

For more information, contact: Sen. Ally Seifried at (405) 521-5555 or Ally.Seifried@oksenate.gov