Oklahoma Bill Targets School Reporting Burdens
- mike33692
- 6 hours ago
- 2 min read
Oklahoma Bill Aims to Reduce Administrative Burden on Schools
A new piece of legislation filed at the Oklahoma Capitol aims to significantly reduce the amount of paperwork required of public schools and technology centers across the state.
Senate Bill 1236, authored by Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, would create a formal process to review, consolidate, and eliminate what supporters describe as duplicative and outdated reporting requirements imposed on school districts each year.
The measure is formally titled the Administrative Report Consolidation Act and is eligible for consideration during the 2026 legislative session, which begins February 2.
Senate Bill 1236 Would Create an 11-Member Review Board
Under the Oklahoma Bill proposal, SB 1236 would establish an 11-member board tasked with reviewing all administrative reporting requirements for public school districts and technology center school districts.
The board’s responsibilities would include:
Eliminating duplicative and outdated reports
Consolidating required reports where possible
Making recommendations to lawmakers about statutory reporting mandates
Creating an ongoing action plan to regularly review reporting requirements
One of the bill’s stated goals is to limit the number of required annual reports to no more than 10 per school district, a dramatic reduction from the current total, which exceeds 200 reports in some cases.
Bullard Says Excessive Paperwork Pulls Leaders Away From Students
Sen. Bullard, a former history teacher with a master’s degree in school administration, says the bill is rooted in firsthand experience.
He argues that excessive reporting requirements prevent administrators from focusing on instructional leadership, teacher support, and student discipline.
“Instead of supporting teachers’ professional growth and being present in the halls to address discipline issues, they are stuck filling out reports that don’t solve a single problem,” Bullard said.
He added that the legislation is designed to empower education professionals to determine which reports actually serve a purpose.
Supporters Say Reform Could Improve School Operations
Advocates of the bill say reducing administrative reporting could improve efficiency across Oklahoma’s education system, especially for smaller and rural districts that lack dedicated compliance staff.
By consolidating reports and eliminating unnecessary mandates, supporters argue administrators would gain more time to focus on student outcomes, teacher development, and campus safety, rather than paperwork compliance.
Next Steps for the School Reporting Reform Bill
Senate Bill 1236 will be considered during the 2026 legislative session, which begins in early February. If approved, the measure would mark one of the most significant efforts in recent years to overhaul administrative reporting requirements in Oklahoma education.