Gov. Kevin Stitt signs private school tax credit expansion into law

Gov. Kevin Stitt signed HB 3705 into law on Wednesday, expanding Oklahoma’s private school tax credit program, which provides families with $5,000 to $7,500 per student enrolled in private schools, regardless of income level.

Supporters of school choice believe the program’s expansion is beneficial for education in Oklahoma, while opponents argue it primarily offers tax breaks to families who do not need them.

Stitt has expressed strong support for the law, stating that it “levels the playfield” and creates more opportunities for families. Critics, however, point out that most families benefiting from the tax credit already had children enrolled in private schools.

State Rep. Michelle McCane criticized the expansion, saying, “It’s $25 million we are adding to something that is already wasting taxpayer dollars. But we’re talking about all these tough decisions we’re having to make around the budget, but we just threw away $25 million that we would have had if we hadn’t had to do this increase. So, it’s frustrating, because regardless of ideology, we’re not being responsible with taxpayer money.”

State Rep. Chad Caldwell, a strong supporter of the law, highlighted the program’s rapid growth, saying, “It’s only been around for three years, but we’ve seen tremendous growth. We knew we were basically about a million or a million-and-a-half dollars away from hitting that cap just in three short years, and so what was going to be happening is that families were going to have to be turned away.”