50th in the Nation. On Purpose.
Oklahoma now ranks dead last in K-12 school quality, safety, funding, and student outcomes according to WalletHub’s 2025 education rankings. The state spends $11,349 per student, roughly $1 billion short of the regional average of $14,975. Only Idaho and Utah spend less.
During the same period, Oklahoma’s Parental Choice Tax Credit distributed $248.5 million to 39,229 students in private schools. Nearly three-quarters of recipient families earned $75,000 or more. Only 4,071 of the 39,229 students had previously been in public school.
That is not a school choice program. It is a subsidy for families who already chose private education.
The Spending Gap
Oklahoma vs. regional neighbors in per-pupil spending
| State | Per-Pupil Spending | National Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | $11,349 | 48th |
| Regional average | $14,975 | — |
| Gap per student | -$3,626 | — |
| Total gap (statewide) | ~$1 billion | — |
| Average teacher pay + benefits | $62,055 | 41st |
| Regional teacher pay average | $66,152 | — |
The Voucher Problem
Governor Stitt and legislative allies now want to lift the $250 million cap on the Parental Choice Tax Credit entirely. The Oklahoma Policy Institute found the program overwhelmingly serves students who were never in public school.
72 percent of voucher recipients had household incomes of $75,000 or higher. Only 10.4 percent were previously enrolled in public schools.
— Oklahoma Policy Institute, January 2026
Removing the cap would redirect hundreds of millions more from the state budget while public schools remain $1 billion below the regional spending floor.
The Superintendent Problem
State Superintendent Ryan Walters took office in 2023 and resigned in September 2025 to lead a campaign against teachers’ unions. During his tenure, Walters prioritized political and religious mandates over academic performance. His office pushed book restrictions, Bible curriculum mandates, and loyalty tests for educators while the state plummeted to last place.
Oklahoma’s public classrooms are experiencing a massive teacher shortage. Teachers earn $4,100 less than the regional average. The exodus is predictable.
McGirt and Tribal Education Rights
The McGirt decision affirmed that roughly half of Oklahoma sits on tribal reservation land. Governor Stitt has called for limits on tribal sovereignty, including education jurisdiction. Tribal leaders pushed back sharply. Representative Fetgatter commented that the governor’s hostility toward tribal nations undermines cooperation on education and child welfare.
The Supreme Court’s April 2026 ruling in Stroble v. Oklahoma Tax Commission narrowed McGirt’s civil application but left criminal jurisdiction intact. The fight over tribal authority in Oklahoma schools remains unresolved.
What This Fight Connects To
Oklahoma’s education dismantling connects to the Education hub. The voucher playbook here is the same one running in Arizona, Indiana, and Florida. Oklahoma just shows what happens when you combine voucher expansion with a hostile superintendent, chronic underfunding, and political attacks on teachers.
What You Can Do
- Write your Oklahoma legislators through Resist Bot and oppose removing the voucher cap until public schools reach the regional spending average.
- Support the Oklahoma Policy Institute, which tracks voucher data and per-pupil spending gaps.
- Follow the teacher shortage. Ask school board candidates whether they support raising teacher compensation to regional parity.
- Check the Oklahoma state page for local updates and related actions.
Sources
- Oklahoma Watch: Record spending but bottom rankings in education explained
- Black Wall Street Times: Oklahoma education ranked worst in the nation
- Oklahoma Policy Institute: Voucher program data and proposed cap removal
- WSWS: Superintendent Ryan Walters resigns to lead anti-union campaign
- KOSU: McGirt decision reshapes Indigenous sovereignty in Oklahoma
- Oklahoma House: Rep. Fetgatter on governor’s hostility toward tribal nations