Some Lawmakers Worried Over Potentially Ignored Education Grants

Some Oklahoma lawmakers raise concerns that State Superintendent Ryan Walters is neglecting millions in grant funding. 

Rep. Mark McBride (R-Moore), the Oklahoma House’s Education Chair, said he’s worried the state is missing out on millions in grant funding at the hands of the State Department of Education.

“By their figures $272 million has yet to be applied for in competitive federal grants,” Rep. Mark McBride, (R-Moore) said. “They're grants that we got in the past.”

State Superintendent Walters gave members of the media three questions on the subject, and used the time to continually call Rep. McBride a liar.

“If Mark McBride wants to continue to lie and allow the teachers union to write his talking points, we're not going to waste any more time with him,” said Superintendent Walters. “We've been on the phone with the feds and our employees and we have no idea what Mark McBride is talking about and frankly neither does he.”

Lawmakers including McBride started questioning Walters about applying for these grants at the beginning of the month. In a meeting with the House of Representatives on May 1, Walters told members that the department had already applied for these grants.

Walters referenced a list from the Department of Education that reflected he applied to four grants, but just over the last two weeks. Those grants altogether were totaling $187 million dollars.

“I don't want to call anybody a liar, but he's not telling the truth because they had not applied and reapplied for these grants,” McBride said.

When asked if he’s leaving grants on the table, Walters only named one.

“We declined to apply for a school security grant to apply for a much bigger school security grant that we're now eligible for,” Walters said.

McBride said his school district is still waiting on a handful of grants they’re counting on for 38 Moore schools 

“If he doesn't do it, $7.5 million will be in jeopardy at Moore public schools,” McBride said.

Lawmakers are now working to ensure Oklahoma schools are not missing out on millions in grant funding.

“This is not just me,” McBride said. “Myself and the senate are looking into this trying to nail down what's going on.”

There is a monthly Oklahoma Board of Education meeting tomorrow at 9 a.m. where they are expected to discuss some of these federal grants.