Tulsa-area teachers are getting a $2,000 raise and elementary students are getting double the recess under new Oklahoma laws taking effect this school year.

The permanent statewide cell phone ban also remains in place. Together, the changes touch every major district in the region.

Gov. Kevin Stitt signed Senate Bill 201 on May 7, raising the state's minimum salary schedule for certified school personnel by $2,000. The increase is part of a roughly $232 million boost to State School Aid and Programs for Fiscal Year 2027, bringing total funding from about $3.98 billion to $4.21 billion, according to the Tulsa Beacon.

The recess mandate has forced the most visible changes locally. Senate Bill 1481 requires 40 minutes of daily recess for full-day kindergarten through fifth-grade students, doubling the previous 20-minute state minimum. Schools can split the time into two periods but can no longer withhold recess as punishment.

Districts adjusted schedules after the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) ruled in late June that recess cannot count toward formal instructional time, according to an Owasso Public Schools announcement.

Owasso Superintendent Margaret Coates told families in a July 13 letter that the district would extend its school day by one minute, moving elementary dismissal to 3:46 p.m. and secondary dismissal to 2:46 p.m. Without the adjustment, Coates said, the district would have had to add instructional days to the school year.

Broken Arrow Public Schools shifted elementary hours from 8:45-3:30 to 8:40-3:31.

Sand Springs Public Schools moved all K-5 start times to 7:30 a.m., 10 minutes earlier than before.

Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Ebony Johnson said in an Aug. 19 KTUL report that TPS already had enough time in its school day for 40 minutes of recess, though fitting in all required instructional minutes, restroom breaks and other activities would be challenging.

Rebecca Jacob, principal of Kendall-Whittier Elementary, TPS's largest elementary school with about 825 students last year, told the Tulsa World in July, "There are a finite number of minutes in the school day."

Catoosa Public Schools Superintendent Robert Schornick told the Tulsa World in July that the recess mandate disrupted a planned overhaul of the district's bell schedule. Catoosa, which started its school year Aug. 7, added monthly early-release days beginning in September to accommodate the new requirements.

Reading is the other major focus. Senate Bill 1778 strengthens the state's Strong Readers Act. Starting this school year, students in kindergarten through third grade identified with a reading deficiency must receive an individual intervention plan within 30 days. Parents must get written progress updates at least every 30 days.

A stricter requirement takes effect the following year. Beginning with the 2027-28 school year, third-graders who do not demonstrate sufficient reading skills and do not qualify for a good-cause exemption must be retained in third grade.

The Legislature funded $43.75 million for the Strong Readers Act and $5 million to expand the OSDE's literacy coaching team from five to 24 coaches and six regional supervisors, according to Oklahoma Watch.

Johnson said in the Aug. 19 KTUL report that TPS is using this year to prepare curriculum and communication materials before the retention mandate takes effect. The district is also participating in a pilot program through the Oklahoma State Chamber.

House Bill 1276 makes permanent the statewide ban on student cell phones and personal electronic devices during school hours. The Legislature initially approved the restriction during the 2025 session as a temporary measure. Exceptions remain for emergencies and health-related needs. Johnson said TPS began its own cell phone protocols before the state law and has generally seen success.

Other new laws phase in over the next two years. Senate Bill 1360 creates an Office of Mathematics Improvement and requires math screening for K-5 students starting in 2027-28. House Bill 4359 moves statewide testing for grades three through eight to the final four weeks of the school year.

House Bill 3705 raises the annual cap on Oklahoma's Parental Choice Tax Credit from $250 million to $275 million. Oklahoma Tax Commission data shows 39,637 students qualified for the credit for 2026-27.

District-specific schedule details are available on each school's website.