Title 70, Title 70 — Schools

This act shall be known as the Oklahoma School Code. Added by Laws 1971, c. 281, § 1-101, eff. July 2, 1971.

The purpose of the Oklahoma School Code is to provide for a state system of public school education and for the establishment, organization, operation and support of such state system. Added by Laws 1971, c. 281, § 1-102, eff. July 2, 1971.

If any section or part of the Oklahoma School Code is found to be ambiguous or otherwise subject to more than one interpretation, such section shall be liberally construed to the extent that the general purpose of the entire Code and of public education may be advanced. Added by …

provided. Nothing in the Oklahoma School Code shall be interpreted as repealing or modifying any law in effect in the State of Oklahoma relative to the collection of any taxes unless specifically provided for herein, and all appropriations existing at the time this Code becomes e…

- State Superintendent of Public Instruction - Definitions. A. The State Department of Education is that department of the state government in which the agencies created or authorized by the Constitution and Legislature are placed and charged with the responsibility of determinin…

The public schools of Oklahoma shall consist of all free schools supported by public taxation and shall include nurseries, kindergartens, elementary, which may include either K-6 or K-8, secondary schools and technology center schools, not to exceed two (2) years of junior colleg…

Either in conjunction with public schools or otherwise under the control and supervision of school agencies and officials provided by law for the control and supervision of public schools, other educational services may include health activities, school lunch programs, audiovisua…

governmental purposes. A. Unless otherwise specifically defined, technology is applied knowledge. For educational and governmental purposes, technology shall include but not be limited to information technology, telecommunications technology and implemental technology. Informatio…

A school district is defined as any area or territory comprising a legal entity, whose primary purpose is that of providing free school education, whose boundary lines are a matter of public record, and the area of which constitutes a complete tax unit. Added by Laws 1971, c. 281…

Extended-day schedule - Closure for inclement weather. A. For all public schools in this state, school shall actually be in session and classroom instruction offered: 1. For not less than one hundred eighty-one (181) days; 2. For not less than one thousand eighty-six (1,086) hour…

A. School districts shall have the option of establishing and offering an extended school year according to the provisions of this section. The Optional Extended School Year Program provided in paragraph 15 of subsection A of Section 109 of this act means those programs which sch…

A. Except as otherwise provided for by law, a school day shall consist of not less than six (6) hours devoted to school activities. A district board of education may elect to extend the length of one (1) or more school days to more than six (6) hours and reduce the number of scho…

School taught on Saturday shall not be counted for attendance purposes in meeting the school year requirements as set forth in Section 1-109 of this title. School taught on Saturday may be substituted for regular school days during which school has been or will be closed upon app…

A. When used in this section, the residence of any child for school purposes shall be: 1. The legal residence of the parents, guardian, or person having legal custody. Each school district board of education shall adopt a policy establishing the requirements for student residency…

- Enrollment in kindergarten and first grade - Nonresident tuition fee. A. All children between the ages of five (5) years on or before September 1 and twenty-one (21) years on or before September 1 shall be entitled to attend school free of charge in the district in which they r…

Unless otherwise prohibited by federal law, school districts may: 1. Only have to accept exchange students on J-1 visas, issued pursuant to paragraph (a) (15) (J) of Section 1101 of Title 8 of the United States Code, which hold the sponsoring organization responsible; 2. Not have…

Calculation of state aid. Any school district is hereby authorized to operate as a grantee of a federal Head Start program. For purposes of calculating state aid a school district may not count any child enrolled in or teacher employed by a Head Start program operated by the dist…

The public school system in Oklahoma shall be administered by the State Department of Education, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, boards of education of school districts, and superintendents of school districts. Added by Laws 1971, c. 281, § 1-115, eff. July 2, 1971. A…

As used in this title: 1. "Teacher" means any person who is employed to serve as district superintendent, principal, supervisor, counselor, librarian, school nurse, athletic trainer, or classroom teacher or in any other instructional, supervisory or administrative capacity. The p…

A teaching principal, as defined in Section 1-116 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes, shall be permitted to devote less than one- half (1/2) the time school is in session to classroom teaching only when it has been determined by the State Board of Education that such action is …

Vaccinations. A. A school nurse, or in the absence of such nurse, an administrator or designated school employees, pursuant to the written authorization of the parent or guardian of the student, may: 1. Administer a nonprescription medicine; 2. Assist a student in applying sunscr…

medication – School board epinephrine injector policy. A. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 1-116.2 of this title, the board of education of each school district shall adopt a policy on or before September 1, 2008, that permits the self- administration of inhaled asthma m…

A. The general fund of any school district is hereby defined as a current expense fund and shall consist of all revenue or monies that can legally be expended within a certain specified fiscal year, but shall not be considered as including any money derived from a special buildin…

The building fund of any school district shall consist of all monies derived from the proceeds of a building fund levy of not to exceed five (5) mills in any year, voted by the people of a school district pursuant to the provisions of Article X, Section 10 of the Oklahoma Constit…

The building fund of any technology center school district shall consist of all monies derived from the proceeds of a building fund levy not to exceed five (5) mills in any year, voted by the people of a school district pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 of Article X of the…

The sinking fund of any district shall consist of all money derived from ad valorem taxes or otherwise as provided by law for the payment of bonds and judgments and interest thereon. Added by Laws 1971, c. 281, § 1-119, eff. July 2, 1971.

The provisions of this act shall control over any conflicting provisions in the laws of this state. Laws 1976, Chapter 1, Section 2. Laws 1976, c. 1, § 2.

Revolving Fund – Tax forms. A. Each individual taxpayer required to file a state income tax return and each corporation required to file a corporate tax return who desires to contribute to the Public School Classroom Support Revolving Fund created in Section 1-123 of this title m…

A. There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving fund for the State Board of Education to be designated the "Public School Classroom Support Revolving Fund". The fund shall be a continuing fund, not subject to fiscal year limitations, and shall consist of all monies r…

A. Unless otherwise specifically defined, "per-pupil expenditure" shall mean the aggregate current expenditures of school districts, from all funding sources including federal funds, state funds and local funds, plus the direct support aggregate current expenditures of the state …

A. As used in this section: 1. "Sex" means the physical condition of being male or female based on genetics and physiology, as identified on the individual’s original birth certificate; 2. "Multiple occupancy restroom or changing area" means an area in a public school or public c…

schools. A. As used in this section: 1. “Bell to bell” means the time between the first bell ringing at the start of the school day to begin instructional time until the dismissal bell at the end of the school day to end instructional time; and 2. “Personal electronic device” mea…

Except as provided in Section 10-102.1 of this title, the board of education of each school district shall appoint, or may employ, and fix the compensation of an attendance officer and such assistants as may be necessary, who shall serve under the authority and supervision of the…

The board of education of each school district may enter into an agreement with the municipal police department serving the school district which provides that some or all of the duties of an attendance officer for the school district shall be performed by a certified police offi…

A. The school population, scholastic population, scholastic enumeration, and enumeration of a district shall be the legal average daily attendance. The legal average daily attendance shall be the average number of pupils present in a school district during a year or other specifi…

By January 1, 1995, each school district in this state shall develop a student information referral procedure whereby the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation would, if authorized by a parent or legal guardian at any time, have access through a designated district employee to i…

- Report. The State Board of Education shall file with the Secretary of the School Land Commission a report, duly certified, showing the school population for the preceding school year of each school district. School population shall be determined as provided for in Section 10-10…

Exceptions - Enforcement. A. It shall be unlawful for a parent, guardian, or other person having custody of a child who is over the age of five (5) years, and under the age of eighteen (18) years, to neglect or refuse to cause or compel the child to attend and comply with the rul…

Employees may have time off for parent-teacher conferences. A. It shall be a policy of the State Board of Education to encourage each public school to explore outreach opportunities such as agreements with the parents of each child enrolled in school. 1. Such agreement may descri…

A. The State Department of Education shall develop and implement a program of parent education which provides practical information and guidance to parents regarding the development of language, cognition, social skills, and motor development of young children. The program shall …

private sector - Matching funds. The State Board of Education shall establish a pilot early childhood program to consist of private donations and state funds that will serve at-risk children in at least one urban area and one rural area of this state to be selected by the Board. …

It shall be the duty of the principal or head teacher of each public, private or other school in the State of Oklahoma to keep a full and complete record of the attendance of all children at such school and to notify the attendance officer of the district in which such school is …

Duties and responsibilities of attendance officers. It shall be the duty of the attendance officer of each school district to carry out the duties and responsibilities required of the attendance officers by Section 34 of this act. If the attendance officer is unable to carry out …

In any matter pertaining to the duties of the attendance officer and keeping records thereof, the board of education of the district shall make rules and regulations subject only to the limitations of the regulations of the State Board of Education and of the law, which shall hav…

The attendance officer or assistants shall receive, in addition to their salaries, all necessary travel expenses incurred by them in the performance of their official duties. Added by Laws 1971, c. 281, § 10-108, eff. July 2, 1971.

compulsory attendance law. A. An attendance officer, any school administrator, or designee of the school administrator who is employed by the school, or any peace officer may, except for children being home schooled pursuant to Section 10-105 of the Oklahoma Statutes, temporarily…

taught in schools. No sectarian or religious doctrine shall be taught or inculcated in any of the public schools of this state, but nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the reading of the Holy Scriptures. Added by Laws 1971, c. 281, § 11-101, eff. July 2, 1971.

The board of education of each school district shall permit those students and teachers who wish to do so to participate in voluntary prayer. Nothing in this act shall be construed to be in conflict with Section 11-101 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes. Laws 1980, c. 72, § 1, …

Attorney General in legal proceedings. The board of education of each school district shall ensure that the public schools within the district observe approximately one minute of silence each day for the purpose of allowing each student, in the exercise of his or her individual c…

A. As used in this section, “released time course” means a period of time during which a student is excused from school to attend a course in religious or moral instruction taught by an independent entity off school property. B. Each school district board of education shall adopt…