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Oklahoma State Board of Education approves emergency teacher certificates, awards CLASS grants; tables FY27 budget discussion
Summary
At its Sept. 25 meeting the State Board of Education approved emergency (provisional) teacher certificates, awarded CLASS grants to several teachers, and approved late federal program claims; the board tabled detailed consideration of the FY 2027 budget pending additional information.
State Superintendent Ryan Walters called the Sept. 25 meeting of the Oklahoma State Board of Education to order, led the pledge and a moment of silence, and outlined an initiative to place Turning Point USA clubs in every high school in the state. Walters recognized Mason Cottrell, a Turning Point USA field representative, who addressed the board about the effort.
During routine business the board unanimously approved the minutes of the July 24 and Sept. 3 meetings following motions by Board Members Chris Van Dehende and Mike Tinney. The board then took action on consent-docket items, approving exceptions to teacher certification regulations to permit emergency (provisional) certificates under 70 O.S. § 6-187. Van Dehende moved to approve the emergency certificates with possible retroactive effective dates tied to local contract starts; the motion carried with roll-call votes recorded in the minutes.
The board also approved shared superintendent salary assistance for FY 2026 for Eufaula Public Schools and Carlton Landing Academy; approved late joint federal program claim payments for Snyder, Talihina and Coyle public schools; and approved recommendations to award Oklahoma Classroom Learning and School Supplies (CLASS) grants to named teachers in districts including Bartlesville, Blair, Lawton, Lexington, Little Axe, Muskogee and Oklahoma City.
On the proposed FY 2027 budget for the Oklahoma State Department of Education, Board Member Becky Carson moved to table the item until members received further information. The motion passed with Carson, Van Dehende and Tinney recorded as voting yes and Archer and Superintendent Walters recorded as no on that procedural motion; the budget discussion was therefore deferred for additional detail.
The meeting concluded after a short new-business exchange about absenteeism rule deadlines and the format of future agendas. The board adjourned and scheduled its next regular meeting for Oct. 23, 2025 at 9:30 a.m.
