Oklahoma has a proud history of public education. At statehood, we boldly chose to enshrine a system of public schools in our original constitution. To this day, our state constitution is one of just eleven that specifically declares that our schools will serve ALL children. And, we were one of the earliest states to guarantee students the right to an education provided by the taxpayers.
In a state where one in four children suffers food insecurity and nearly half of our students qualify for free and reduced lunches, Oklahoma’s public schools are a lifeline of hope, stability, and the promise of a brighter future. In fact, over 90% of our children attend public schools. Oklahoma parents overwhelmingly choose public schools - despite being offered significantly more school choice options than every one of our neighboring states.
For nearly twenty years, the Oklahoma Parent Legislative Action Committee (OKPLAC) has empowered parents to advocate for the public schools that mean so much to their families. Our movement includes thousands of parents in multiple chapters across our state pursuing one goal: excellent local public schools that are equipped to meet the needs of every student.
In the past decade, we have repeatedly battled against unconstitutional legislation that would send our taxpayer funds to private institutions without accountability, equity or protections for students of all backgrounds, faiths and abilities. Over and over again, Oklahoma parents have shown that they wish to uphold our state’s constitution by singularly funding our non-sectarian public school system.
“The parents of OKPLAC celebrate the beauty of public schools as safe spaces where all children may learn and grow without being forced to adhere to an ideology or religion pressed upon them by the government. ”
In June of 2023, we were dismayed as the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board voted 3 - 2 to approve an application for a state-funded religious school. The application from the Oklahoma City Archdiocese and the Tulsa Diocese stated that the proposed virtual school would be wholly Catholic in teaching and in practice and could not promise that it would be able to meet the needs of children with varying disabilities.
As parents, our nation’s religious freedom gives us the right to train our children in the faith of our choosing. We understand that true religious freedom comes from the absence of government in our churches, synagogues and private parochial schools. We also recognize that charter schools are public schools. Like traditional public schools, charter schools rely on state funding to serve their students and, by law, must meet the same academic and inclusion standards of all public schools. The very idea of a public charter school funded by taxpayers and promoting a religion as part of its teaching is at its core illegal. It is the antithesis of “public.” No parent or taxpayer should be forced to fund someone else’s religious faith.
Today, July 31, 2023, OKPLAC is taking a major step by participating for the first time in our organization’s history in legal action against a dangerous and unconstitutional decision. We are the first entity to serve as a plaintiff in a lawsuit against this publicly-funded religious school and we will see it through to its rightful end.
This action is in keeping with our historic principles and advocacy. We continue to stand for our state’s constitution, for the protection of taxpayer funds, and for the provision of a system of public schools that is open to ALL children. There is no place in the state of Oklahoma for a religious, exclusionary school funded by tax dollars. The parents of OKPLAC will always seek what is best for students no matter their faith, economic status, geographic location, orientation, or ability - just as they have been promised in our state’s constitution.
