Oklahoma receives ‘Returning Education to the States’ waiver to consolidate federal funds

OKLAHOMA CITY — Following its goal of “returning education to the states,” the U.S. Department of Education has granted Oklahoma permission to combine $3.5 million from four different federal programs meant to support K-12 teacher training, English learners and academic enrichment. 

The federal agency announced Tuesday it granted the state a waiver to use the money as a consolidated fund through 2029. The $3.5 million is a tiny portion of the $1 billion Oklahoma receives from the federal government for K-12 education and vocational programs.

The vast majority of the funds dedicated to the four affected programs, like most federal education dollars, passes through the Oklahoma State Department of Education and goes directly to schools. 

However, the state Education Department keeps a small percentage of each program’s funding for state-level initiatives and administrative costs. It now plans to combine the portions it retained, amounting to $3.5 million.

The state agency’s goal is not to cut back or eliminate services, it said in a statement Wednesday, but to “reduce duplication and maximize the impact of every available dollar.” 

“Rather than managing separate funding streams with different spending restrictions, Oklahoma can consolidate eligible state-level funds and strategically invest those dollars in allowable activities across the approved federal programs,” the state agency said. “This allows us to focus resources where they can make the greatest difference for students.”

The four affected programs are Title IV Part A which funds educator professional development, Title III Part A for instruction of students learning English as their non-native language, Title IV Part A for student support and academic enrichment, and Title IV Part B supporting academic opportunities outside of school hours, also known as 21st Century Community Learning Centers.

The state Education Department hasn’t released a detailed plan for how it will use the consolidated funds. When granting the waiver, the federal government acknowledged Oklahoma applied for the added flexibility so it could more efficiently provide and coordinate the four programs’ functions “under a unified statewide strategy.”

The state can apply the money toward “any allowable use in each of the included programs,” but it still must meet all programmatic requirements and responsibilities for each fund, according to a letter the federal government sent to the state department when granting the waiver.

Oklahoma and Nebraska are the ninth and tenth states to receive permission to combine multiple federal funding streams. Waivers also have been granted to Iowa, Louisiana, Indiana, Vermont, Arkansas, South Dakota, Mississippi and Ohio, affecting a total of $164 million.

U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the federal department has been granting these waivers as part of the Trump administration’s mission to return control of education to the states.

“Oklahoma and Nebraska now have the freedom to break down federal funding silos and align resources with the priorities of their students, families, and communities,” McMahon said when announcing the waiver. “I am thrilled that we now have 10 states empowered with greater flexibility to advance student achievement and deliver more coordinated support where it is needed most.”

State Superintendent Lindel Fields said the waiver “marks an important opportunity for Oklahoma to take greater ownership of our educational future.”