New Oklahoma laws take effect, marking significant change to public schools

More than 50 new Oklahoma state laws took effect July 1, including changes to public schools’ safety and security.

Under Senate Bill 100, over 2,000 school facilities must undergo a risk and vulnerability assessment from the Oklahoma School Security Institute, to be repeated every five years thereafter.

Sen. Dewayne Pemberton was one of many advocating for SB 100 to ensure teachers and students stay safe.

“After visiting with school administrators and visiting numerous school sites, it became alarmingly apparent that we needed to create a uniform system of safety standards and protocols to ensure all our students and staff are fully protected during an emergency,” Pemberton said in a press release. “It shouldn’t matter if it’s a rural or urban, poor or affluent district, all schools should be safe havens where learning is the focus and students can thrive.”

This legislative session, Gov. Kevin Stitt also signed House Bills 2903 and 2904 into law, which grant each district $96,000 to participate in a three-year school safety pilot program.  

Up to $150 million can be used to hire school resource officers or make necessary security upgrades including cameras, metal detectors, card readers, ballistic shields and bulletproof glass.  

Another new law provides Oklahoma teachers a yearly pay increase, ranging from $3,000 to $6,000 based on years of experience. 

Additionally, teachers will now be authorized six weeks of paid maternity leave, following the implementation of Senate Bill 1121.