Education Leaders Push For Income Tax Raise Vote

The OKC bond election is over and now voters are once again being asked to take action.

The Chair of the school board for Oklahoma City Public Schools is hoping residents are willing to pay for better schools.

“When you really look at it, people are wanting to pay taxes,” says OCPS School Board Chair Paula Lewis.

In June, a coalition of city leaders rolled out a plan calling for a four-year half-cent tax on a resident's income.

The $50 million generated each of the four years would go to teachers and support staff.

“We would see immediate results just in morale and class size,” says Lewis.

Lewis calculates that someone making $60,000 a year would end up paying around $100 extra for education.

Lewis and other education and civic leaders, like OKC City Councilman Ed Shadid, are asking potential voters to sign a petition that would put the issue on the April 3rd ballot.

Organizers are trying to collect 25,000 signatures. 

12,000 are required to put it on the ballot. The deadline for signatures is mid-November.

You can sign the petition in person at Vito's Restaurant on north May and the Learning Tree store on north Western.

You can also sing the petition online at www.saveOKCschools.com