Discrepancies Between State Leaders And State Superintendent

All week, News 9 has been speaking with state leaders, the state superintendent and state lawmakers on a recent request for an investigation into the state Department of Education. We've interviewed State Superintendent Ryan Walters twice this week, which showed some discrepancies from what lawmakers and state leaders are saying. 

One thing everybody agrees on is that the money for maternity leave for teachers, inhalers in public schools and school security, is all available. 

“We have the money,” said Walters. 

“The money absolutely exists,” said Sen. Chuck Hall, (R) Senate Appropriations and Budget Chair. 

But between the state superintendent and state lawmakers, there are a number of disagreements. 

“We've continued to meet with members of the house and members the Senate,” said Walters. 

The state superintendent says he has open lines of communication with state lawmakers, but lawmakers in both the House and Senate say they can’t get in touch with Walters, or anybody from the Oklahoma State Department of Education regularly. 

“I have become frustrated with the state Department of Education there has certainly been a lack of communication,” said Sen. Hall. 

Walters also says he's unclear how to administer a program to put inhalers in public schools. 

In 2024, state lawmakers approved an appropriation of $250,000 to give inhalers to each of the 509 public schools in Oklahoma. 

Walters contacted the Attorney General, sending the letter below and claiming he is unclear on how to administer the program. Walters says lawmakers couldn't come to an agreement, which is where his confusion lies. 

“We've been working with the House and the Senate. They disagree on how the money should be doled out,” said Walters. 

But, Sen. Hall, and House Budget and Appropriations Chair Rep. Kevin Wallace, sent a joint letter explaining the legislative intent of the program, spelling out exactly how it should work. 

“We passed a limits bill of $250,000 a year ago in a limits bill that specifically says we expect SDE to create a process where we were putting inhalers in every school,” said Sen. Hall. 

Another discrepancy lies in communication between OSDE and the Attorney General’s office. 

“We are contacting the attorney general's office on a litany of matters throughout every week,” said Walters. 

The AG’s office tells us they have had “sporadic communications” with OSDE since Attorney General Gentner Drummond took office. 

Walters also claimed on News 9 this morning that his department has responded to Drummond’s most recent letter to OSDE, regarding open records requests. 

“We've laid it all out for the attorney general's office, so we've been working with them,” said Walters. 

The AG’s office tells us they have received no response to the letter sent to OSDE on July 16th. 

All week, the superintendent has made direct comments about state Rep. Mark McBride, who wrote the letter to House Speaker Charles McCall, requesting the investigation into alleged misconduct and misspending. 

“You have Mark McBride who puts together a letter, this is the guy who fought to put pornography in our schools,” said Walters. 

Comments that the state representative says are simply not true. 

“We need to quit talking about how people want porn in schools because we know that's all a lie,” said McBride. 

OSDE has not responded to the most recent request for comment on the LOFT investigation.