TULSA, Okla. — At a contentious state school board meeting Thursday, State Superintendent Ryan Walters didn't clarify if his office actually applied for any federal education grants.
A State Department of Education whistleblower said last week Walters had refused to sign off on any applications.
Eliot Elementary School parents Shenaia Richardson and Kayla Edwards told 2 News they worry about the state providing enough resources through federal funding to title I districts like Tulsa to help their daughters in school.
"With (my daughter's) special education, I mean, I think it's what they need, and (the district) is already limited on staff," Edwards said. "And if more staff is quitting because of possibly not receiving the grants and stuff then that could really affect her in the outcome."
"For the other children, if their parents have to work a lot of jobs and don't have that ability, I want that to be in the right place and for those kids," Richardson said.
After a combination of department employees resigning this month and getting called out by a Republican state legislator for allegedly not applying for federal aid, Superintendent Walters Thursday instead called the doubters "liars."
But without potentially $270 million, many schools in the state could cut resources for programs like free meals, special education, Pre-K, and more.
TPS School Board President Stacey Woolley spoke as a concerned parent during the State Board of Education meeting Thursday, and later told 2 News there aren't enough answers about the funding.
"We don't really know all of the facts yet," Woolley said.
"The (Oklahoma) House and the Senate and everyone else in our legislature is working to find out what's really going on right now with those grants. If those grants weren't applied for that could be incredibly detrimental to all of our students."
"And people want not only transparency but accountability. And I think people will stay engaged in this."
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