OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The budget request for Fiscal Year 2026 was approved by the Oklahoma Board of Education on Thursday with a $3 million ask for Bibles in classrooms.
"This is a significant step for Oklahoma to ensure that we're not allowing the left to censor American history," said State Superintendent Ryan Walters.
It isn't up to the superintendent to determine if that money will go to Bibles in the classroom, it's up to the legislature.
During Thursday's meeting, Walters seemed to allude to $3 million already used from the current budget and that $3 million would be asked for the next year.
"So this would give us the ability to utilize $6 million dollars in less than 2 years to ensure that the Bible hasn't been driven out of Oklahoma classrooms and would be a significant step for Oklahoma to ensure that we're now allowing the left to censor American history," said Walters.
When asked what version of the Bible is going to be used, Walters replied with the New King James Version.
News 4 reached out to Attorney General Gentner Drummond whose office replied, "The Legislature sets the state’s fiscal policy and annually appropriates funds to support programs in public schools. The Legislature also reserves to school districts the ability to 'exclusively determine the instruction, curriculum, reading lists and instructional materials and textbooks...to be used in meeting the subject matter standards.' The State Superintendent can ask the Legislature for whatever he wants, in any amount, and the Legislature will have to decide these matters."
Many at public comment voiced support for the ask and others were against it.
“The State Superintendent continues to ignore the Oklahoma Constitution. He wants to use millions in public taxpayer dollars to fund religion in public schools—something the majority of Oklahomans are adamantly against—while Oklahoma public schools remain some of the most underfunded public schools in the nation. Oklahoma ranks 45th in the United States for per-student expenditures and Oklahoma public school teachers are paid more than $10,000 less than the national average salary for public school teachers. There are major gaps in funding public education in Oklahoma, and yet the State Superintendent continues to abandon the needs of our public school districts to push for policies that do not benefit teachers, students, or families. He has and continues to fail us and our public schools.”
OK House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson
Bixby Public Schools Superintendent Rob Miller commented and said, "This budget ask is unnecessary. Speaking for my district, every student has full, free access to the Bible through their district-assigned device."
The budget was a major part of Thursday's meeting. OSDE approved the over $4.1 million dollar ask for FY 2026.
The board also approved $500,000 to fund training for districts with school personnel who are interested in concealed carry on campus.
The board then approved an increase of $1,000,000 for a signing bonus for veterans and law enforcement to become teachers.
Walters brought the additions to the budget request five days before it has to be approved and sent to the Oklahoma Office of Management Services (OMES). After that, it will be sent to the legislature and ultimately approved or not approved by the governor.
