The new year started out on a sour note for most of the Okmulgee County school superintendents.
All but two of the nine school districts were notified they would be getting less of the initial state aid. The notice came with the mid-year adjusted fund distribution amounting to $482,982 less than they anticipated.
Henryetta’s drop amounted to $90,529 less than the original $4,566,437. It is something that superintendent Dwayne Noble said is normal instead of an exception. “We have lost about that much each of the four years that I have been here,” he said Thursday.
Noble said that loss amounted roughly two teacher salaries. He was quick to say no plans are in the works to layoff any teachers.
Hardest hit was the Beggs school system. The initial state aid was $3,433,644 but that was reduced by $131,282.
Other declines went to Morris, $27,966, Preston, $32,437, Wilson, $82,524 and Dewar, $7,560.
Only Preston and Schulter came out with more state funds than anticipated. Preston gained $32,437 and Schulter was up $27,559.
Those mid-year adjustments are based on a variety of factors, including schools’ increases or decreases in student enrollment during the first nine weeks of the school year and changes in local tax revenues.

Download a complete copy of the state distribution here: {phocadownload view=file|id=29|target=s}