Oklahoma State Board Meeting Canceled Amid Ongoing Turmoil

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma State Department of Education has once again canceled its monthly board meeting, marking the third such cancellation this year. The latest meeting was set for Thursday morning, following significant tensions that erupted during a previous meeting last month.

State Superintendent Ryan Walters, who leads the board, faced scrutiny after board members reported seeing explicit content on a television in his office during their last meeting. “Chaos does not work well with the public education system, which we’re seeing,” said Rep. Jacob Rosecrants. He emphasized that these repeated cancellations are detrimental to Oklahoma schools.

Rosecrants stated, “This is a pretty simple part of the job to run a State Board of Education meeting, so many red flags are waving from that.” The agenda for these meetings typically includes crucial matters such as accreditation standards and transfer requests.

Madison Cercy, a spokesperson for the State Department of Education (OSDE), explained in a statement that the cancellation was due to transitioning staff and a legal team. “There are several big items facing Oklahoma education, and we want to make sure that the board meetings are conducted properly and efficiently,” she said.

Mike Tinney, a board member, expressed his frustration, noting that they have been actively trying to hire a new legal representative agreed upon by the entire board. He had hoped the new hire would be in place by the postponed meeting.

Further complicating matters, the interim general counsel for the OSDE recently resigned, and board members said they received no clear reason for the latest cancellation. Tinney called the lack of communication “very frustrating,” as there are significant matters that need addressing.

Quinton Hitchcock, another OSDE spokesperson, reiterated the reason for the cancellation as due to staff transitions and emphasized the importance of conducting meetings properly. Meanwhile, significant policy changes proposed by Walters continue to unfold without board approval, raising questions about governance.

Tensions between Walters and board members have increased, particularly since an internal investigation into the explicit images on the television was launched. The Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office is currently reviewing evidence related to the incident. Additionally, state officials are looking into the conditions that led to these disruptions and cancellations.

Despite the repeated disruptions, the board is expected to meet again on September 25, where crucial votes on annual school accreditation and other pressing matters await discussion.