By Associated Press
Oklahoma City, OK – Okla. Education Board delays budget vote
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The Oklahoma Board of Education is expected to request an increase of more than $300 million for public schools, despite an anticipated tight budget in the upcoming fiscal year.
The board met Tuesday and discussed the proposed budget request, but delayed voting until Dec. 14.
During last year's legislative session, lawmakers tried to shield education from the deepest cuts and limited its budget reduction to about 3 percent.
Public education saw its funding shrink as Oklahoma's revenues declined amid a national recession and low prices for oil and natural gas a key component of the state's economy.
When legislators return to Oklahoma City in February to craft the 2012 budget, they will be facing a hole in the budget of about $500 million.