Oklahoma Board of Education cancels meeting over Open Meeting Act concerns

The Oklahoma State Board of Education has postponed its March meeting due to a late posting of the agenda, which was published online 19 minutes after the deadline mandated by the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act. State Superintendent Ryan Walters indicated that while the agenda was posted on time at the department's headquarters, concerns from board members about a potential violation led to the decision to cancel. The agenda, which included significant issues such as a teacher's license surrender and proposed changes to school days, was sent to the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) for posting, but a communication mishap resulted in the delay. An OMES spokesperson contested the blame, pointing out that the OSDE staff sent the agenda just minutes before the deadline. The board has rescheduled the meeting for April 24, 2025, to ensure compliance with public meeting laws. This incident highlights ongoing tensions regarding transparency and procedural adherence within the state's education governance.