Thursday night Henryetta teachers added their voices about a threatened walk out unless the legislature provides more funds for schools.
An hour-long meeting with Oklahoma Education Association representative Cal Ware, provided some answers about what the OEA wants and effects of a walkout.
Ware said the association is asking for a $10,000 raise for teachers as well as $5,000 salary increase for support personnel, $7,500 for state employees and five percent boost for retired teachers.
“Our goal is for a walkout not to happen,” he said. He said the April 2 date was set due to a state law that requires legislators to have a working budget bill in place by April 1. “Since it became law, that has never occurred.”
Ware told the group that, “if the budget bill does not provide enough recurring revenues to provide substantial raises in salaries, raises in revenues for state agencies, we will call for a statewide school closing.”
He said there is money available if taxes, income and gross production taxes, were reinsated back to earlier levels. “Since 2008, taxes were reduced and revenues reduced to all state agencies. The money is out there but it is in everyone’s pockets including corporations.”
Ware said a walkout is not an ideal thing. Salaried school personnel such as teachers will not be affected by a walkout as deeply as the hourly support personnel.
Henryetta superintendent Dwayne Noble said the school board meeting next Monday will see a resolution presented that supports the teachers in the event of a walkout.
“I support what you guys have to do,” he said. “I wish we didn’t have to do this. It will take a lot of courage on your part.”
The big issue facing Henryetta as well as other schools will be what the effect of a walkout will have on school events. The high school prom is currently set for April 7, five days after the threatened walkout.
“If it only lasts a day, that won’t affect graduation but there’s lots that will be affected the longer it goes.
Noble told the group that Henryetta was hit with 10 cuts in state funding this past year. The latest came last week with $28,892 cut. “There was close to $300,000 in cuts last year.”
Noble said currently there are no plans to eliminate teachers but if the cuts continue, “we will have to make tough decisions. Our main goal is to keep the cuts away from the children and out of the classrooms.”
Local OEA president Kathy Snyder said a survey of teachers reported 96 percent support a walkout and the same 96 percent feel teachers are not valued.
A major effect of school closure would see some children unable to get the meals they depend on each day.
“Teaches are willing to help coordinate with local groups to make sure children have meals during the day in the event of a walkout,” she said.