StateImpact Oklahoma

Many Southeast Oklahomans are gearing up to fight a proposed hydropower project that could displace hundreds of people. For this week's StateImpact Oklahoma in-depth, KOSU's Graycen Wheeler has more on the project and the response from residents and officials." Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags

Oklahoma CareerTech oversees 29 technology centers across 60 campuses statewide. It takes about 500,000 yearly enrollments and offers courses to students in about 400 school districts and adults. And about 7,500 students are sitting on a waitlist to get in. To tackle the waitlist, the Oklahoma Legislature allocated $26.7 million in new one-time funds for the agency this year. The money was recentl...

Recruiting long-term care CNAs can be challenging, and fighting consistent turnover is costly. But groups in Oklahoma are finding ways to invest in these workers’ education and futures. Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags

Oklahoma students face many barriers to high school graduation, even more so since the pandemic. But educators at two Oklahoma City area high schools have teamed up with a new community organization to tackle root causes of student behavioral issues. Because of the efforts of educators and nonprofits, communities are finding solutions to help young people in Oklahoma City avoid violence and turn t...

The farther a woman has to travel to receive maternity care, the greater risk they have of maternal morbidity and adverse infant outcomes. Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags

“Summer slide” is the phenomenon of students losing ground academically during the summer break. It usually refers to learning loss in reading and math, though other areas of child development can be affected, like behavior. On average, students lose about 20% of their school-year gains in reading and 27% in math. StateImpact visited two Oklahoma schools that provide free, multi-week summer progra...

Oklahoma nursing homes are preparing for staffing rules finalized in April by the Biden administration, meant to improve safety and quality of care in long-term care facilities. Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags

Far out in the Pacific Ocean, the latest El Niño cycle is at an end, and La Niña is expected in the coming months. But what does that mean for Oklahoma’s weather? Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags

After a TikTok video went viral about water pollution in East Cache Creek, City of Lawton officials have explained their plan to restore water levels. Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags

StateImpact education reporter Beth Wallis and health reporter Jillian Taylor talk with managing editor Logan Layden about some of this year's legislative highlights. Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags

More than 600,000 Oklahomans on Medicaid are now seeing their care coordinated by private insurance companies. Proponents say the change incentivizes preventative care, and its rollout has been going well. But, it has caused problems for some Oklahomans on Medicaid and smaller providers. Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags

Keeping kids active and healthy can be an uphill battle, especially in the age of smartphones, video games and other distractions. A new volunteer initiative in Edmond is getting kids’ hearts pumping — and their wheels turning. Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags

Statewide, Oklahoma public schools are experiencing a shortage of bus drivers — and they’re struggling to adapt. StateImpact analyzed every public school district in Oklahoma and found that of the 400-plus schools with hiring listings accessible on their websites or that answered a superintendent survey, over 40% showed open driver positions. About a quarter of the 80 surveyed superintendents said...

Most of Oklahoma’s Medicaid population is transitioning to managed care. This means that instead of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority paying providers directly, it’s paying private companies to coordinate some enrollees’ care. Proponents say the new system incentivizes better preventative care, which could cost the state less in the long run. Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags

As a crisis continues on the U.S. Southern Border, Oklahoma lawmakers are among counterparts from about a dozen states taking things into their own hands. For StateImpact, Lionel Ramos reports on their efforts and the backlash they face from immigrant communities. Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags

In Tulsa, there are about 450 after-school programs at risk of shrinking to just 75 once ESSER funds are gone. One of those programs is an after-school gardening club at Tulsa Public Schools' Eugene Field Elementary. There, each participant gets a garden box to plan, decorate, plant and harvest from throughout the school year. Schools across the country may be on the brink of making tough calls on...

Opill, which was approved by the FDA last July, is the nation’s first over-the-counter birth control pill, and it’s hitting pharmacy shelves now. Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags

Any point on the globe can expect to see a total solar eclipse about once every 400 years. This Monday, it’s far southeast Oklahoma’s turn. Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags

Lawmakers are at the halfway point in this year’s legislative session, and just a fraction of the education bills filed at the top of the session have survived big legislative deadlines. StateImpact’s Beth Wallis spoke with Oklahoma Voice education reporter Nuria Martinez-Keel about the bills that still remain on the legislature’s radar. Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags

This legislative session, lawmakers are working with faculty from OU’s School of Social Work and  Oklahoma Healthy Minds Policy Initiative , advocating for Oklahoma’s requirements to be reduced to 3,000 hours. Mentioned in this episode: Social Media tags

School support staff received a statewide pay raise after the 2018 Oklahoma Teacher Walkout, but while teacher pay remains a major legislative priority, support staff pay hasn’t. StateImpact’s Beth Wallis reports many paraprofessionals, who often provide critical support to students with disabilities, live paycheck to paycheck.

An Oklahoma Watch investigation last year revealed a pervasive culture of harassment at an elite Oklahoma high school. StateImpact’s Beth Wallis spoke with Jennifer Palmer, the reporter behind the story, about a recent update: the agency responsible for addressing those issues failed to perform required inspections for 16 years .

Abortion restrictions, the ongoing opioid crisis and access to mental healthcare are in focus this legislative session. Jillian Taylor is StateImpact Oklahoma’s health reporter, and spoke with managing editor Logan Layden about what to expect from lawmakers in 2024.

The state legislature is back in session, and there’s no hotter topic than education policy. StateImpact education reporter Beth Wallis talked with StateImpact managing editor Logan Layden about what to expect from lawmakers in 2024.

The Department of Education overpaid at least $290,000 in teacher bonuses and is working to claw back the money mere months after it was distributed. Nine teachers have been issued demands for repayment, and five additional teachers are under review.