Walters suggests putting Oklahoma superintendents up for election

OKLAHOMA CITY — The head of Oklahoma’s public school system announced he is crafting a bill that would turn school district superintendents into an elected position.

State Superintendent Ryan Walters said Wednesday the idea would make district leaders more accountable to local parents. In Oklahoma and across the country, elected school boards hire the superintendent for their districts.

The chances that the state Legislature would pass such a bill are murky. Multiple members of the Republican majority in the House and Senate told Oklahoma Voice they had never heard of the idea or had no interest in it.

Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, said she doesn’t support the proposal because it “completely undermines the authority of local school boards.” Daniels is a member of the Senate Education Committee.

“Elected school board members are responsible for the governance of school districts,” Daniels said. “Their first duty is to oversee the expenditure of tax dollars that fund education in their district. Their second duty is to hire a superintendent to manage the district.”

Walters has not yet released the full text of the bill nor has he said whether any lawmakers have committed to filing and advocating for it in the Legislature. Only a state lawmaker could file the bill, and even if filed, the measure wouldn’t be guaranteed a hearing or vote.

The bill will suggest dates for primary and general elections, candidate eligibility requirements, rules for filling a superintendent vacancy and the process for deciding compensation, among other details, according to the announcement.

Walters accused district superintendents of committing misconduct and defying policies from conservative leaders. Several superintendents have refused to comply with Walters’ order that schools teach from the Bible and keep a copy of it in classrooms.

“We have seen rogue school administrators ignore the will of the parents and taxpayers in their district to inject pornography into schools, cover up the sexual misconduct of teachers, allow students to lick each other’s toes, and even be arrested (for) public intoxication on school grounds,” Walters said in a statement. “Parents are rightfully horrified by this kind of misconduct, and it’s time to put parents in control over their neighborhood schools by giving voters a direct way to hold superintendents accountable.”

The deadline for lawmakers to file bills is Jan. 16 before the next legislative session begins Feb. 3.