Gov. Kevin Stitt champions school choice at inaugural Oklahoma Charter Schools Conference

Dozens of Oklahoma charter schools stakeholders heard Gov. Kevin Stitt during a conference on Friday champion school choice and emphasize the role quality education plays in the state’s economic success.

The governor addressed a group of charter school administrators, board members and authorizers on Friday during the second day of the inaugural Oklahoma Charter Schools Conference.

He called education the driver of innovation, and the key to securing the American dream for the next generation.

“For decades, education in America was a system that prioritized bureaucracy over students. Well, not anymore,” Stitt said. “You guys are leading the way in that we believe in parents having the power to make decisions about their child’s education. A ZIP code should never determine a child’s destiny.”

Stitt touted the state’s Parental Tax Credit program that nearly 8,000 Oklahoma families took advantage of for spring 2025. The program was approved by legislators in 2023, and was officially launched that December. Under the program, any family whose children attend private schools can claim between $5,000 and $7,500 annually, with priority given to families with household incomes of $150,000 or less.

“Rich people already have school choice,” Stitt said. “They can send their kids anywhere they want. Now, every single family in Oklahoma has the ability to do the exact same thing.”

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