Dive Brief:
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Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters, who issued a directive in June requiring school districts in the state to teach the Bible starting this school year, is facing growing scrutiny from local officials and state lawmakers.
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In late August, Republican state Rep. Mark McBride called for a federal Department of Education investigation into Walters citing concerns about the state department of education's spending of federal and state money, according to local reports.
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In the past month, a growing number of Republican state lawmakers have also questioned Walters’ leadership, including over a Title I allocation dispute with Bixby Public Schools Superintendent Rob Miller. State Attorney General Gentner Drummond also sent a letter to Walters last month over the education agency’s lack of responses to open records requests.
Dive Insight:
Oklahoma found itself in the national education spotlight after the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board approved a contract in 2023 with St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which was set to become the nation’s first religious charter school.
State leadership was split over the school's constitutionality, which Drummond challenged in court with a lawsuit that ultimately derailed St. Isidore's fall 2024 opening plans.
In June, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that St. Isidore, as a publicly funded religious school, was unconstitutional and violated Oklahoma state law. The decision ordered the charter board to walk back its contract with the school.
While the board did so, Walters issued guidelines just days after the court's decision that required schools to teach the Bible and have a copy of the text in every classroom starting with the 2024-25 school year.
In response, districts have also resisted his directive.
In the case of the Title I funding dispute with Bixby Public Schools’ Miller, Walters came under fire from state lawmakers for calling Miller a “clown” and a “liar” after the superintendent, a former Marine, expressed concerns about delays on X.
"Over the past four years, we've witnessed Ryan Walters' often questionable leadership," said Republican state Reps. Josh West, Ty Burns, and Chris Banning in an August statement. "In the past two weeks, he has violated the Open Meetings Act, denied legislators access to executive sessions, deprived districts of rolled-over money meant for school safety and now is putting children's lives at risk by withholding appropriated funds for emergency asthma inhalers."
Walters' office did not respond to K-12 Dive's request for comment in time for publication.
