State Superintendent Ryan Walters would have to share control of Board of Education meeting agendas under a bill in the works in the legislature.
Under the current system, only Walters can put items on the agenda.
But House Bill 1491 would let school board members add items, if at least two board members make a request in writing.
The bill comes at a time when Walters and Governor Kevin Stitt have been at odds, but the sponsor of the bill, State Representative Ronny Johns (R-Ada), said people have raised the issue about giving board members a greater say in the meetings long before the recent friction with Walters.
“The way I understand it, it goes back possibly all the way back to Superintendent (Sandy) Garrett, when I first started teaching,” Johns said.
The bill was advanced unanimously today by the House Education Oversight Committee and will be sent to the full House.
Governor Stitt endorsed the bill in a post on Facebook, saying, “No one member should control a board—especially one that impacts our students’ futures. When it’s time to shake things up, any member should have the ability to add items to the agenda.”
State Attorney General Gentner Drummond meanwhile appeared to express some disdain and skepticism regarding the Governor’s endorsement.
In an e-mailed statement, Drummond said, “Gov. Stitt promoted and supported Superintendent Ryan Walters every step of the way, even standing by the superintendent when he gave ‘blanket approval’ for the misspending of our tax dollars. Now that his handpicked superintendent refuses to do his bidding, Gov. Stitt wants to change the law to give his appointees full control of the education agenda.”