Apr. 3—Cleveland County representatives are responding to the announcement that State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters has created the Oklahoma State Department of Education Office of School Choice.

The announcement came after the state received more than 30,000 submissions for the new parental choice tax credits. According to multiple reports, the program could eat up $150 million over the next year and a half.

The program offers $5,000 to $7,500 per student for the cost of private school tuition or other expenses.

According to a release, the office will function as a one-stop shop for matters pertaining to the tax credit.

“Whatever the educational option parents choose, I want to make sure they have one place to go where they can navigate their options for their child,” Walters said.

Students attending charter schools or homeschool may also be eligible for the tax credit.

Rep. Jacob Rosecrants, D-Norman, said he isn’t surprised that Walters created a new office to facilitate vouchers.

“Even though he was elected as the superintendent of public schools here in Oklahoma, he’s shown nothing but contempt toward our public schools and the folks who work within them,” Rosecrants said. “He’s also passionate about erasing the line between church and state and of diverting public dollars to private schools through vouchers and private school tax credits.”

Rep. Sherrie Conley, R-Newcastle, said an office like this is needed to support the voucher program.

“I see the concept of an Office of School Choice as a much-needed resource for parents to help them navigate the evolving education system in Oklahoma,” Conley said. “Recently, while visiting a local establishment, a young woman sitting beside me asked where she could get information about school options in Oklahoma. She stated she currently had no children, but wanted to educate herself on the available school options for educating her future kids.”

Rosecrants said the term school choice means nothing more than the pushing of voucher schemes.

“The term school choice is a thinly-veiled way to show support for private school voucher schemes rather than embracing the public schools upon which the majority of families rely here in Oklahoma,” he said. “Also, with unprecedented departures of key staff from the Department of Education since Walters took over, I don’t believe he has the competence nor the staff to open up an entirely new department, and that may be the purpose of all of this … to push folks out of the Department of Education to the point that it isn’t effective, and then unveil this new way of running our schools.”

He said supporters of small government should be appalled that Walters is using his power to increase the breadth of government.

“It is ironic that many of them voted for him to be State Superintendent of Public Instruction. I will stay wary and will continue to demand transparency and accountability from Superintendent Walters and his enablers,” Rosecrants said.