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Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters is seeking more funding to place Bibles in schools. Walters announced yesterday that the Oklahoma State Department of Education will ask the legislature for $3 million to buy Bibles for classrooms. This is on top of $3 million already allocated to buy Bibles. Walters noted that the funding would provide a Bible for every classroom in Oklahoma in accordance with a directive that he announced earlier this year. The directive states that the Bible must be used as instructional support in recognition of existing state social studies standards.
The proposed $4.1 billion budget also includes an additional $500,000 for a pilot program to arm school employees and put up signs to notify visitors that someone on campus is armed. Schools that already have a designated armed teacher on campus could get money to expand the program.