Bartlesville Radio: The area’s best source for news, weather and sports!

State Question 801 will appear on the Nov. 6 General Election ballot in Oklahoma and it could change the way school districts use existing property taxes in their building funds.

State Representative for District 10 candidate Kevin Stacy says he will vote no on the bill because he wants equal education opportunities for all schools throughout Oklahoma. He says State Question 801 would put urban schools at an advantage over rural schools when that shouldn't be the case. While Stacy stands against SQ801, he believes it will pass.

Currently, building funds are limited to construction, remodeling, landscaping and maintenance. State Question 801, if passed, would remove that restriction so local school districts could choose to use their local property tax dollars where those dollars are needed. Those needs include: building maintenance, teacher pay, textbooks, STEM programs or classroom supplies.

SQ801 says it will not raise taxes on any family or business and would give school boards more flexibility to address  the education needs in their community. Opponents say, however, say SQ801 could allow the state government off the hook for adequately funding education.

Supporters say that SQ801 will empower voters, local school boards and superintendents to exercise more local control over their property tax dollars while removing a 60-year-old restriction that has limited local tax dollars from being spent in the classroom. The opposition says SQ801 will only put additional pressure on the building funds used for maintenance and janitorial service, and that SQ801 could possibly set school boards and superintendents up to make poor financial decisions.