Republican House leaders are calling on State Superintendent Ryan Walters to hire a federal programs director for the State Department of Education. The recommendation comes as nearly $18 million of federal funding is still sitting untouched.
The state’s mishandling of pandemic-era federal education dollars has cast a long shadow on the newest round of funds. The Bridge the Gap Digital Wallet program, for which Superintendent Walters was a key administrator, saw at least $650,000 of federal funds go to non-education-related expenses like TVs and Christmas trees, according to federal auditors.
The state has until January next year to fully spend $17.7 million in new federal education funds that so far haven’t been allotted to any programs. Oklahoma Watch education reporter Jennifer Palmer.
"It’s kind of a ripple effect, because they didn’t handle the first batch well enough, and they’re trying to get better processes in place," Palmer said. "But it’s holding up the second batch of funds that we may or may not be able to spend in time."
Now House education committee chairs Mark McBride and Rhonda Baker want Walters to bring in an expert to handle the money. The lawmakers say without these dollars, students will lack vital classroom materials and many will go hungry.
One weather-related death in Cheyenne has been confirmed following severe weather that included at least confirmed nine tornadoes across the state on Sunday night.
Family members identified the deceased as Billy Trammell.
Additionally, five homes in Cheyenne have been deemed a total loss and several others have roof damage. The National Weather Service continues their damage survey around the state today.
Oklahomans who are losing SoonerCare coverage have an opportunity to sign up for private insurance. The federal government has created a special enrollment period for them.
The insurance exchange created under the Affordable Care Act isn’t open year-round. Open enrollment starts in November and runs through mid-December. Otherwise, applicants need to have a qualifying life-changing event — like losing coverage or having a baby.
But the federal government is opening a special enrollment period for the millions of people who will lose Medicaid coverage this year.
A pandemic relief policy allowed members to stay in the program, even if they technically lost eligibility because of increased income or other factors. But that program ends this spring.
Oklahoma’s program, SoonerCare, is phasing that coverage out instead of suddenly dropping members. But by the end of the year, 300,000 people are expected to lose coverage.
Residents can apply for private coverage at healthcare.gov.
The enrollment period opens March 31, and it will run until July 31.
An Oklahoma County Jail inmate died Monday morning at a hospital.
According to jail officials, 69-year-old Kenneth Parrott was hospitalized Feb. 18 for preexisting medical issues and later died.
The State Medical Examiner’s Office will make a final determination as to the cause of death.
This is the jail’s second detainee death this year. Sixteen inmates died last year.
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