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An Act
ENROLLED SENATE
BILL NO. 1735 By: Seifried of the Senate
and
Lay of the House
An Act relating to career and technology education;
amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section 14-108, as amended by
Section 1, Chapter 326, O.S.L. 2023 (70 O.S. Supp.
2025, Section 14-108), which relates to technology
center school districts and their boards of
education; directing technology center school
district schools to be subject to certain provisions
of the State Board of Career and Technology Education
rather than the State Board of Education; updating
statutory language; providing an effective date; and
declaring an emergency.
SUBJECT: Technology center school districts
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 14-108, as
amended by Section 1, Chapter 326, O.S.L. 2023 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025,
Section 14-108), is amended to read as follows:
Section 14-108. A. The State Board of Career and Technology
Education shall prescribe criteria and procedures for the
establishment and governance of technology center school districts,
as provided by Section 9B of Article X of the Oklahoma Constitution,
and such districts so established shall be operated in accordance
with rules of the State Board of Career and Technology Education,
except as otherwise provided in this title.
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B. A technology center school district shall be a body
corporate and shall possess the usual powers of a corporation for
public purposes. Its official name shall be designated by the State
Board of Career and Technology Education, in which name it may sue
and be sued, and be capable of contracting and being contracted
with, and holding hold real and personal estate.
C. The governing board of a technology center school district
shall be a board of education consisting of not less fewer than five
(5) nor more than seven (7) members. Except as otherwise provided
for in subsections D and E of this section, all members of the board
of education shall be elected in a manner prescribed by the State
Board of Career and Technology Education. The State Board shall
promulgate rules prescribing the manner in which the elections
required by this subsection are held.
D. In a technology center school district that serves seventy
or more public school districts, the territory of the technology
center school district shall be divided into district zones by the
State Board of Career and Technology Education. Between August 1
and December 31 of the year following the submission by the United
States Department of Commerce to the President of the United States
of the official Federal Decennial Census, the Board shall
reapportion the territory of the technology center school district
into district zones. All boundaries of district zones shall follow
clearly visible, definable, and observable physical boundaries which
are based upon criteria established and recognized by the Bureau of
the Census of the United States Department of Commerce for purposes
of defining census blocks for its decennial census and shall follow,
as much as possible, precinct boundaries. District zones shall be
compact, contiguous, and shall be as equal in population as
practical with not more than a five-percent variance between the
most populous and least populous district zones. The board of
education of a technology center school district shall consist of
one member elected from each of the district zones of the technology
center school district created pursuant to this subsection. The
electors of each district zone shall elect a person, who is a
resident of the district zone, to represent the district zone on the
school board. If during the term of office to which a person was
elected, that member ceases to be a resident of the district zone
for which the person was elected, the office shall become vacant and
the vacancy shall be filled as provided in Section 13A-110 of Title
ENR. S. B. NO. 1735 Page 3
26 of the Oklahoma Statutes. The State Board of Career and
Technology Education shall promulgate rules prescribing the manner
in which the elections required by this subsection are shall be
held.
E. In technology center school districts having a population of
more than two hundred twenty-five thousand (225,000) electors, the
territory of the technology center school district shall be divided
into board zones by the State Board of Career and Technology
Education. The board of education of the technology center school
district shall consist of one member elected from each of the
district zones. Beginning July 1, 2024, the board of education
shall have the option, upon approval of a board resolution, of
requiring that the electors of each district zone shall elect a
person who is a resident of the district zone to represent the
district zone on the school board and to not elect all board members
at large, or the community continues to vote for the board members
at large. If during the term of office to which a person was
elected, that member ceases to be a resident of the district zone
for which the person was elected, the office shall become vacant,
and the vacancy shall be filled as provided for in Section 13A-110
of Title 26 of the Oklahoma Statutes. The State Board of Career and
Technology Education shall promulgate rules prescribing the manner
in which the elections required by this subsection are shall be
held.
F. The board of education of a technology center school
district shall have the same powers and duties that boards of
education of independent school districts have. It may require
nonresident students to pay reasonable tuition fees, which may be
paid for a student by the independent or elementary school district
in which the student resides.
G. An election to vote on the question of making a levy of not
to exceed five (5) mills on the dollar valuation of the taxable
property in a technology center school district under the provisions
of subsection A of Section 9B of Article X of the Oklahoma
Constitution, shall be called by the board of education and
conducted by the county election board of such district in the same
manner that elections for emergency levies in school districts under
the provisions of subsection (d) of Section 9 of Article X of the
Oklahoma Constitution, are called and conducted. When such levy is
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approved by a majority of the electors of the technology center
school district voting on the question at such election, the levy
shall be made each fiscal year thereafter until repealed by a
majority of the electors of the district voting on the question at
an election called for such purpose. An election to vote on the
question of making a local incentive levy of not to exceed five (5)
mills on the dollar valuation of the taxable property in a
technology center school district under the provisions of subsection
B of Section 9B of Article X of the Oklahoma Constitution, may be
called by the board of education; and elections on a levy for a
building fund for an area school district under the provisions of
Section 10 of Article X of the Oklahoma Constitution, shall be
called by the board of education of such district and conducted by
the county election board in the same manner that elections for
similar levies are called and conducted in independent school
districts.
H. Annual estimates of needs of technology center school
districts shall be made and approved in the same manner that those
of independent school districts are made and approved. Provided,
that the State Board of Career and Technology Education shall
prescribe a list of appropriation accounts by which the funds of
technology center school districts shall be budgeted, accounted for,
and expended. Any such estimate of needs may include an estimate of
federal funds as probable income from sources other than ad valorem
tax of the district and other than any excise or other tax assessed
by legislative enactment and distributed in lieu of ad valorem
taxes. If a technology center school district lies in more than one
county, the district’s estimate of needs shall be filed with and
approved by the county excise board of the county designated by the
school district board of education.
I. Territory may be annexed to or detached from a technology
center school district, in accordance with rules prescribed by the
State Board of Career and Technology Education. If the State Board
of Career and Technology Education requires the submission of a
petition in order for an election to be called for the purpose of
annexation or deannexation of territory to a technology center
school district, such petition shall not be required to bear a
number of technology center school district electors’ signatures
which exceed fifty percent (50%) of the number of technology center
school district electors who voted in the last school board election
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in the territory proposed to be annexed or deannexed. Provided, the
period of time from which the petition is initiated to its time of
filing with the State Board shall not exceed ninety (90) days.
J. Schools of technology center school districts shall be
subject to classification, inspection, and accreditation by the
State Board of Career and Technology Education.
K. The technology center school district board of education may
designate a county treasurer to serve as treasurer of the school
district or may appoint an independent treasurer.
L. Within four (4) years after the creation of a technology
center school district, such school district may, at its discretion,
permit a teacher to transfer any or all accrued benefits upon
employment including credit for years of service in the previous
school district by the technology center school district, if the
teacher at the time of hiring is employed as a teacher by an
independent or elementary school district which is all or partly
within the boundaries of the technology center school district or is
employed as a teacher in a skills center within the boundaries of
the school district.
M. The board of education of a technology center school
district may convey surplus personal property without consideration
to:
1. A school district that is within the boundary of the
technology center school district;
2. A public school offering secondary level education which was
created and is operated by this state and that is within the
boundary of the technology center school district;
3. A technology center school district; or
4. The Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education
for the support or delivery of department initiatives.
N. The board of education of a technology center school
district may, without prior approval of the State Board of Career
and Technology Education, approve all plans and specifications for
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technology center school buildings, additions, and major
modifications to school buildings that are designed to provide for
the offering of vocational-technical education programs and services
when the cost of the building project is to be paid with local
levies or state bond monies or both local levies and state bond
monies.
SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2026.
SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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Passed the Senate the 9th day of March, 2026.
Presiding Officer of the Senate
Passed the House of Representatives the 28th day of April, 2026.
Presiding Officer of the House
of Representatives
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
Received by the Office of the Governor this ____________________
day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By: _________________________________
Approved by the Governor of the State of Oklahoma this _________
day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
_________________________________
Governor of the State of Oklahoma
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE
Received by the Office of the Secretary of State this __________
day of __________________, 20 _______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By: _________________________________