Oklahoma's Own In Focus: Ryan Walters Pushes For Local Control Over Education Funding

State Superintendent Ryan Walters informed Oklahoma parents and school superintendents about expected changes in federal public education policy under the new presidential administration.

In a memo distributed Thursday, Walters outlined the Oklahoma State Department of Education's priorities, emphasizing the goal of limiting federal control over education and promoting greater local authority.

“For decades, the U.S. Department of Education has unjustifiably expanded federal power over American education, squeezing local communities and parents out of control of their own schools,” Walters stated. “Thanks to President Trump, we are going to reverse that trend.”

The release further stated that the memo focuses on eliminating federal bureaucracy, which would allow funding to be directed to local schools, giving parents and communities a more significant role in educational decisions. Walters pledged to reduce federal influence in Oklahoma’s schools and restore control to local authorities by moving to a "block grant" model.

What is a Block Grant? 

A block grant is a type of federal funding provided to state or local governments, typically with fewer restrictions than other forms of grants. These grants are designed to give the recipient more flexibility in how the money is spent, allowing them to allocate the funds according to local needs and priorities, rather than being tightly earmarked for specific purposes.

“A block grant is just the type of funding for a federal program that takes the federal funding mechanism to a block amount of money that can be broadly used for any just broadly defined function,” said Shiloh Kantz, the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Policy Institute.

Oklahoma’s education system currently uses entitlement programs. 

“Entitlement uses a combination of state and federal dollars to administer a range of those safety net programs to anyone who qualifies,” said Kantz.

Entitlements, like Title I and Title IX have strict federal guidelines, while block grants provide more local control and flexibility. Entitlements are also need-based, meaning the dollar amount of the grant changes from year-to-year.

“Block grants are capped. That's 'you get what you get, and you don't throw a fit,'” said Kantz.

Kantz says that could put a strain on the state government and taxpayers who would have to foot the bill for any increases.

"The people who will be supporting it would be the folks who want to cut spending at the federal level,” said Kantz.

State Superintendent Ryan Walters has been outspoken about decreasing government spending, saying in a statement "By eliminating the federal bureaucracy, money can be efficiently directed to local schools."

Kantz, on the other hand, says there’s no need to change the current federal funding model.

“We just feel like funding as it is, is the right way to go because it can be tracked, it can be audited and we're able to actually ensure the money is going to where it needs to be spent,” said Kantz.

The state does have other sectors that utilize block grants including housing, highways, and healthcare.

The Community Development Block Grant, administered by the state’s commerce department, helps rural Oklahoma finance public infrastructure projects.

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a block grant while Soonercare and SNAP are entitlements.

Oklahoma received about $508 million in federal funding for the 2023-24 school year, which is about 11% of the state's overall education funding.

How Does It Work?

More Flexibility: Block grants are different from other federal grants because they give state and local governments more control over how the money is spent. For example, if a state receives a block grant for social services, it can decide how best to use the money across various programs (like helping low-income families, supporting elderly care, etc.) rather than being limited to one specific program or category.

Decentralized Decision-Making: The idea behind block grants is that state and local governments are better equipped to understand and address local needs than the federal government. This allows them to have more control over how and where the funds are used, based on local circumstances and priorities

Examples of Block Grants in Oklahoma

Oklahoma administers various block grants to support programs like SoonerCare (Medicaid), TANF, and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). However, SoonerCare and SNAP are entitlement programs, while TANF is an example of a block grant.

1. SoonerCare (Medicaid): While Medicaid is typically an entitlement program, Oklahoma also has some flexibility in how it administers Medicaid, like through waivers that allow the state to implement certain changes within the federal rules.
2. TANF: The TANF block grant provides fixed funding to Oklahoma to run programs that provide cash assistance and services to low-income families.