The Joint Committees on Appropriations and Budget of the Oklahoma House and Senate have endorsed a ban on the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s (OSDE) expenditure on public relations. This decision comes due to growing unease about potential misuse of public funds. The objective is to boost accountability and ensure effective use of taxpayer money.
Last year, the OSDE was critiqued for its spending on public relations, specifically for hiring Texas-based video production company, Precision Outreach. Despite significant investment, the campaign had minimal impact, shown by a low 3.8k views on YouTube. Questions were raised about the justification of such high expenditure, considering these underwhelming results.
The OSDE continued to rouse criticism by entering into new contracts with Precision Outreach and Vought Strategies, a Washington D.C.-based PR firm. These partnerships led to further concerns about OSDE’s increased expenditure and challenged the organization’s financial management and transparency.
Vought Strategies was paid $30k of taxpayers’ money from March to June 2024, with potential for three yearly contract extensions at $200 per hour.
Oklahoma’s proposed ban on education PR spending
These potential extensions would bring considerable extra costs and could extend through to June 2027, signifying an important, long-term investment for the taxpayers.
Legislators are currently considering a ban on such spending. Enrolled Senate Bill No. 1125 proposes a stop to OSDE’s use of taxpayer money for PR activities, stating funds should benefit students and teachers directly. The bill is significantly supported by people advocating for redirection of funds to immediate needs like teacher salaries, infrastructure, and educational resources. The final call on the ban rests with legislators who will vote in the coming weeks.
If approved by Governor Kevin Stitt, the ban will be effective from July 1. In alignment with this decision, the Senate has approved a budget over $3.8 billion for the OSDE. This signifies an earnest attempt to redirect public funds towards more pressing matters, ensuring a more efficient utilization of resources.
