Tulsa Public Schools' accreditation put on hold as Ryan Walters alleges 'severe issues'

One of Oklahoma’s largest school districts is in accreditation limbo from an unusual move by the state’s top school board, and its standing could be in jeopardy.

While all other school districts in Oklahoma had their yearly accreditation decided Thursday, Tulsa Public Schools won’t learn its status until the board's next meeting Aug. 24.

State schools Superintendent Ryan Walters asked to remove Tulsa from the pack for a separate vote next month. The rest of the Oklahoma State Board of Education unanimously agreed.

When asked whether revoking the district's accreditation is under consideration, Walters said "all possible actions are on the table with Tulsa Public Schools." A school district that loses its accreditation would be closed and dissolved, having lost all recognition and funding from the state.

More: Oklahoma education secretary who succeeded Ryan Walters resigns after 3 months in the role

"What we have seen is a district that has failed the students," Walters said while speaking with reporters after the meeting. "They failed the parents, and they failed the teachers there. We are looking at all possible actions with this district to ensure that all state laws, all rules are being upheld by that district in a way that benefits those kids. The performance of the school speaks for itself. We are going to take a serious look."

Tulsa Superintendent Deborah Gist called the accreditation process “wildly bureaucratic and completely untransparent.”

“I think what we’re also seeing is a process that is being politicized with a very specific personal agenda,” Gist said in a news conference Wednesday. “This kind of single-minded agenda and this focus on these inflammatory threats are the opposite of what I know Tulsa families want.”

The proceedings in Oklahoma City attracted dozens of attendees, some of whom arrived at the Oklahoma State Department of Education building before dawn, hoping to secure one of the few seats available in the board meeting room.

Fire marshals set a maximum capacity of 49 people, and many seats were reserved for school superintendents required to attend, reporters and state lawmakers. Most of the chairs open to the public were overflow seating in an adjacent hallway.

The board heard almost two hours of remarks from attendees, most of whom left after the public comment portion of the meeting ended.

For months, the Education Department has received complaints that the size of the meeting room no longer accommodates rapidly growing attendance numbers. Two men are facing criminal charges after competition for limited spots created conflict at the board's June meeting.

Walters said the agency is "continuiting to work on that process" to ensure all interested residents can attend and participate in state Board of Education meetings.

Why Ryan Walters asked to delay Tulsa Public Schools' accreditation

During the meeting, Walters said the Tulsa district has been "plagued by scandal" and poor academic performance. He asked for more time to investigate "severe issues" in the school system.

The state superintendent has not been specific about all the problems that would warrant further penalties, and board members did not ask for detailed reasons to consider Tulsa's status separately from all other districts in the state.

Walters indicated he had questions about the district's finances and complaints about its reporting on diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

During accreditation reviews this spring, the state Education Department told Tulsa the district administration had one accreditation deficiency because a report had been turned in late, Gist said. She said administrators then heard from the agency in July that they would have a second deficiency because of embezzlement concerns.

Last year, Tulsa reported it discovered suspicious expenses within its talent management department. An audit of the district found its former chief talent and equity officer, Devin Fletcher, received more than $50,000 from vendors contracted with the school district and he authorized vendors to make similarly questionable payments to other Tulsa district employees, the Tulsa World reported.

Gist said almost all of the misused dollars were donation funds. Fletcher has since resigned.

"It is, by every measure, an isolated incident that is about one employee that had a senior-level role, had positional authority and with apparent criminal intent," she said. "I'm as outraged — or maybe even more than anyone — about that having happened."

Gov. Kevin Stitt called for a state audit of the district. The Oklahoma state auditor and inspector’s office is now investigating.

Walters said his own staff is looking into the issue and claimed Tulsa "intentionally misled in their reporting on how money was being utilized inside the district." He also complained the school system hasn't been specific enough about what diversity, equity and inclusion programs it has in place.

"Tulsa is unique in the scope of the money we are talking about," Walters said. "When you're looking at this kind of money, when you're looking at this kind of misreporting and it looks like there could be intentionality around it, that's something we take very seriously."

He said the Education Department is exploring possible violations of religious liberty and House Bill 1775, a state law that bans certain race and gender topics from schools.

Walters recently attended a contentious news conference where he backed Tulsa Board of Education member E’Lena Ashley, who complained the district ordered her not to publicly pray at school events after she had done so at a high school graduation ceremony in May.

Walters and Ashley deemed this a violation of her religious freedoms. District leaders said it would be unlawful to promote a particular faith at a public-school event.

Tulsa Public Schools had accreditation downgrade in 2022

Previous penalties against the district cast a grim shadow over Thursday's proceedings, and some Tulsa parents worried whether their children's school would open again.

"There are 33,000 kids and at least as many parents (in the district)," Tulsa mother Ashley Daly said in an emotional appeal to the board. "You're treating that many of us like you don't care that we don't know if we're going to school in two weeks. That is unethical and unkind."

Tulsa experienced a surprising accreditation downgrade last year over an alleged HB 1775 violation.

The state Education Department admitted Tulsa didn’t teach one of the subjects the law prohibits, but officials said a teacher training included comments that were “more likely than not” inspired by outlawed concepts.

More: Tulsa, Mustang penalties upheld as state board of education refuses to reconsider HB 1775 vote

Despite the borderline nature of the complaint, the state Board of Education chose a harsher penalty than agency officials suggested, dropping Tulsa to accredited with warning. Then-board member Estela Hernandez said at the time a heightened punishment was appropriate in order to “send a message.”

Accredited with warning is defined as failing to meet standards in a way that seriously detracts from the quality of a school's educational program. Schools with this label incur extra oversight from the state and could receive a graver punishment the following year if the same issues persist.

Gist said the district's downgrade last year was "incredibly unjust," and no further HB 1775 complaints have come up since then.

"We had a year go by, and that issue was not raised," she said.

Oklahoma City private school's recognition in doubt

A small private school in Oklahoma City also could have its accreditation revoked.

Education Department staff recommended the state no longer recognize Infinity Generation Preparatory School, citing the school's closure in January. The same school had its accreditation lowered last year because it reportedly failed to verify its total enrollment after applying for a federally funded program.

Unlike public schools, private schools can operate in Oklahoma without state accreditation, but they need that recognition to receive taxpayer funds from the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship Program for students with disabilities.

The head of the school, Gina Darby, said she and her attorney had little communication from the state agency before Thursday's meeting. She pleaded for a delayed vote similar to Tulsa's. The board acquiesed.

Reporter Nuria Martinez-Keel covers K-12 and higher education throughout the state of Oklahoma. Have a story idea for Nuria? She can be reached at nmartinez-keel@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @NuriaMKeel. Support Nuria’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Tulsa Public Schools' accreditation status uncertain with vote delay