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OKC Public Schools Cutting Another $10 Million

Emily Wendler / KOSU
Acting Superintendent of Oklahoma City Public Schools, Aurora Lora, talks about cutting $10 million from the district's budget.

Oklahoma City Public Schools announced another $10 million in budget cuts on Tuesday. 

Acting District Superintendent Aurora Lora presented a long list of things that will be eliminated or changed in order to achieve these cost reductions:

  • Eliminating funding for SAT testing and AP testing.
  • Reducing elementary supply budgets by $10 per student.
  • Significantly reducing contracts with consultants and outside vendors. The district would not say which vendors yet.
  • They will not buy new text books next year.
  • Delaying athletic equipment and uniform purchases.
  • Reducing adjunct coaching positions.
  • Suspending non-federally funded travel.
  • They will change the start times of some schools in order to make bussing more efficient. 

Due to multiple state revenue failures the district is working to cut a total of $30 million from their budget. The district has already cut 208 teachers and 93 administrators, and they’re still looking for ways to cut another $7 million. District officials say school consolidation and suspending school programs—including arts and athletics—is not out of the question. 
"This is a very difficult time," said Lora. "And what we’re trying to do right now is avoid cutting any more teaching positions so we’re having to look at everything else including cuts all the way up to the very top levels."
 
Lora says academic performance will definitely be impacted.

Emily Wendler was KOSU's education reporter from 2015 to 2019.
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