Rehabilitation services asks $2.26 million for vocational programs, school maintenance and AIM center after priority‑group openings

Director Frunt and Chief Fiscal Officer Kevin Stainum told the Senate subcommittee that the Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) is requesting $2,262,000 in additional appropriations for FY26 to maintain and expand vocational rehabilitation services, cover annual maintenance at the Oklahoma School for the Blind and the Oklahoma School for the Deaf, and fund the state’s Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) Center.

The department reported it assisted 85,947 Oklahomans and families in FY24 across multiple divisions, reopened priority group 1 in February 2023 and opened priority group 2 in June 2024 for vocational services. The agency said it cleared 3,192 cases from the waiting list in FY24 and aims to clear at least 50% of its priority‑group 3 backlog in the next year.

DRS described program specifics

• Vocational rehabilitation and blind services: The department said federal funds (under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and the Rehabilitation Act) pair with state match dollars at roughly a 4:1 rate; the agency’s $1,400,000 request covers state match and maintenance‑of‑effort requirements. DRS said it does not propose adding FTEs with that request but will use matched federal funding to support direct services.

• Schools and AIM Center: DRS requested $309,000 for the Oklahoma School for the Blind and $403,000 for the Oklahoma School for the Deaf for maintenance adjustments tied to CPI‑driven operating costs (food, utilities, fuel). The department also requested funding for the AIM Center (braille, large‑print textbooks and loanable assistive equipment). Director Frunt said the State Department of Education previously paid for some AIM costs; that contract was cancelled by the Department of Education last year and DRS included funding to continue the AIM Center services unless and until the SDE contract is restored.

• Staffing and caseloads: The agency reported about 892 FTE statewide across divisions. Frunt said recruitment of master’s‑level certified rehabilitation counselors has been difficult since the pandemic; state match funds and higher salaries helped rehire staff who had moved to private employers. DRS said most student placements at the two state schools are residential or day placements with statewide catchment (all 77 counties) and gave counts: School for the Blind — 56 residential, 31 day students (87 total); School for the Deaf — 69 residential, 42 day students plus satellite preschool slots (118 total).

Why it matters

DRS controls vocational and educational supports for Oklahomans with disabilities and houses specialized residential schools for deaf and blind students; maintenance and AIM funding affect students’ access to textbooks, assistive devices and campus safety. Committee members asked for itemized breakdowns of the $1.4 million matching request and how AIM services will be delivered if SDE does not restore its prior contract. The committee approved follow‑up briefings and requested more detailed position‑level explanations of any salary or FTE changes before final appropriations.