Members of the Oklahoma Opioid Abatement Board voted to approve grants for 15 public school districts on Thursday afternoon.
In the spring, the school districts will be the recipients of approximately $3.7 million to address the opioid epidemic in their communities. Next month, more money will also be allotted to counties, municipalities and public trusts.
In total, the grantees will make up the second cohort of political subdivisions to receive some of the state's share of settlement money from lawsuits with opioid manufacturers and distributors.
This time, the board had $29 million to dole out from the legislature.
The Opioid Abatement Board reports it received a total of 98 grant applications. Two submissions were immediately ineligible because they came from a state agency and District Attorney's district, which can't receive money from the board. The rest came from 34 counties, 36 school districts, 13 municipalities and eight public trusts. Five others were joint applications.
One success story highlighted was from Norman. Last year, Norman Public Schools received $150,000. The district's director of counseling, Kitrena Hime, told the board the money has helped decrease school suspensions for drugs and alcohol by 40%.
"We were less punitive, more supportive, and we have fewer suspensions," she said.
Board members said that is the kind of work they're looking to continue supporting.
The board will approve applications from all categories except school districts during a special meeting on August 19 at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Some school districts did not get the green light from the board because their proposals weren't for approved purposes or evidence-based. A few districts were denied because they are failing to follow through on an existing grant.
Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who chairs the board, noted many of the schools that weren't approved are in more rural areas. He said the board is working with them to strengthen their applications in the future.
"We've got work to do," Drummond said. "We've got to get these guys past the finish line because they all need it."
During the meeting, the board identified multiple other areas of growth. Members agreed there needs to be more compliance training for grantees to help them maintain proper spending practices.
Drummond said the board may have to revoke funds from a few of last year's grantees because they aren't spending the money they were awarded, or are not using it for agreed-upon purposes.
He said he wants to make sure money the board gives out is going solely to opioid abatement efforts.
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