Oklahoma Political News

Over $7.5 million in federal grants were not distributed to Oklahoma CareerTech at the beginning of the fiscal year to fund adult education programs, the agency’s director said.

The Trump administration froze the funding amid concerns that it was going toward educating undocumented immigrants, Brent Haken, director of Oklahoma CareerTech, said during a meeting Thursday.

The freeze affects Adult Education and Family Literacy programs offered by 30 providers at 119 sites across Oklahoma. These programs help adults earn their high school diploma equivalency, among other services. CareerTech had previously taken steps to make sure those utilizing the grant money are not undocumented, he said. He hopes the funding will be unfrozen.

Read the full story at News From The States

The state superintendent’s allegation that schools have ample surplus money prompts pushback

Disagreement between Oklahoma’s top education official and public school leaders continued this week over whether districts are well-funded enough to afford free cafeteria meals for all students.

After issuing an order Monday that all public schools begin offering no-cost food service, state Superintendent Ryan Walters followed up by identifying four districts that he said have enough money in surplus to afford the mandate.

Each of the four suburban districts — Bixby, Deer Creek, Piedmont and Broken Arrow — has said Walters made inaccurate allegations. They said the amounts Walters called a “surplus” seem to include bond money that cannot legally be used for school meals.

Read the full story at Oklahoma Voice

The U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary made half-true or false statements about fluoride in public drinking water, Alzheimer’s disease, autism and puberty during his visit to Oklahoma.

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In a brief speech, Kennedy blamed unhealthy food for a growing epidemic of chronic health conditions in the United States and talked about dwindling sperm counts in American teenage boys and rising rates of autism. But he did not repeat past claims that fluoride in public drinking water is making Americans “stupider” or that autism is caused by an “environmental toxin.”

We reviewed scientific studies and government reports to fact-check some of Kennedy’s claims.

Read the full story at The Frontier.