Doing the Right Thing in Bixby & Owasso

Late last week, we learned that the Owasso and Bixby school boards reversed an earlier decision and decided to comply with Oklahoma’s new special needs Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship Program, implementing the program in their districts:

I’m pleased to hear that the Owasso and Bixby school boards have seen the wisdom of obeying the law.

I look forward to working with the law’s authors, State Representative Jason Nelson and State Senator Patrick Anderson, and other members of the Legislature to assure that this program is focused on providing children and their families with options regarding their education.

While I’m glad this situation has been resolved for parents and children in these two districts, I urge all other districts still refusing to comply with the law to reverse their decisions.

Follow the lead of Owasso and Bixby, and do the right thing.

There’s also an important lesson to be learned here: Just because superintendents and school boards do not agree with a particular state law, that does not empower them to disobey it.

As your new State Superintendent, I will not stand idly by while any school official defies state law or while superintendents violate the oaths they took.