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Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics requests salary adjustments and one‑time campus repairs after enrollment rebound
Summary
OSSM reported a 52% increase in residential campus enrollment and requested funding to raise teacher salaries to the state minimum, replace aging HVAC equipment, add a maintenance technician, repair cracked dorm floors, and replace the gym roof.
Tony Cornforth, president of the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics (OSSM), told the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education that OSSM enrollment has rebounded — the residential campus saw a 52% increase this year — and outlined seven budget requests totaling roughly $1.8 million, most of it one‑time costs for campus maintenance and equipment replacement.
Cornforth asked the committee for $340,000 to raise teacher salaries so all OSSM teachers meet the state minimum salary schedule; he said 8 of 25 teachers currently fall below the state minimum and that neighboring districts’ pay schedules exceed OSSM levels.
Nut graf: The school is seeking a mix of personnel adjustments and one‑time capital investments to respond to rising enrollment and to address deferred maintenance across dorms, gym and HVAC systems.
OSSM also requested a $902,000 one‑time appropriation to replace two 27‑year‑old air‑handling units in the residence hall and modernize controls, noting a service contractor recommended replacement to restore energy efficiency. Other one‑time requests include $294,500 to replace the gym roof, $90,000 to repair long‑running floor cracks in four dorm floors, and $20,000 for a semi‑annual HVAC boiler service agreement.
Cornforth said the school had used prior appropriations to address deferred maintenance and thanked the committee for earlier support, and he asked lawmakers to consider the new requests as necessary to maintain safety, energy efficiency and a competitive teacher pay scale.
Ending: The committee thanked OSSM leadership and indicated staff would review the maintenance and salary requests during budget deliberations.
