State Question 744 coming up for vote Nov. 2
• State Question 744 would repeal a section of the State Constitution.
• The repealed section required Legislature to annually spend $42 per common school student.
• State Question 744 would add a new Article to the Constitution. It would set a minimum average amount Oklahoma must annually spend on common schools.
The Pioneer polled 100 students:
SQ 744 would fund public education to at least the per-pupil average of neighboring states. Do you support or oppose State Question 744?
SUPPORT – 33%
OPPOSE – 50%
UNDECIDED – 17%
How will you vote on SQ 744?
Andrée Duckworth, 30, Business major
“NO. Please pay attention to SQ 754, which blocks SQ 744. If 744 passes it will be null and void.”
Andrea Caligone, 18, Criminal Justice
“YES. They should fund SQ 744 to help more people out with education.”
Heather Phariss, 18, Premed major
“NO. Against it because you do not know if the money is going where it is supposed to go.”
Rich Collins, 23, Journalism major
“YES. I approve of this as long as they restructure the bill so it does not affect other departments.”
• State Question 744 would repeal a section of the State Constitution.
• The repealed section required Legislature to annually spend $42 per common school student.
• State Question 744 would add a new Article to the Constitution. It would set a minimum average amount Oklahoma must annually spend on common schools.
• It would require the State to spend annually, no less than the average amount spent on each student by the surrounding states.
• When the average amount spent by surrounding states declines, State Question 744 states Oklahoma must spend the amount it spent the year before.
• The measure deals with money spent on day-to-day operations of the schools and school districts.
• State Question 744 would require that increased spending begin in the first fiscal year after its passage.
• It requires that the surrounding state average be met in the third fiscal year after passage.
• State Question 744 would not raise taxes, nor would it provide new funding for the new spending requirements.
—Courtesy ok.gov