Oklahoma

LOFT releases report on Oklahoma State Department of Education spending investigation

Published

1 year ago

October 29, 2024

LOFT releases report on Oklahoma State Department of Education spending investigation

OKLAHOMA CITY (KSWO) – The Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) has released their investigative findings on disbursements made by the Oklahoma State Department of Investigation (OSDE).

The LOFT investigation did not find any OSDE actions that warranted a law enforcement criminal investigation, according to the LOFT report.

LOFT began their investigation after both legislators and school districts raised concerns of delays in districts receiving OSDE funds, as well as concerns of changing communications pertaining to funding.

While nothing was found which warranted a criminal investigation, LOFT gave recommendations to both OSDE and the Oklahoma Legislature to make sure a similar investigation is not needed in the future.

According to LOFT, the Legislature should:

For new programs or legislature mandates, require the State Department of Education to publish an initial plan for implementation within 90 days of the program’s effective date.
Specify in budget limit bills any funds that have the flexibility to be used by the State Department of Education to fund other specific statutory obligations.
Clarify whether funding directives for “off formula” school districts apply only to those schools fully off the State Aid Funding formula or if it also applies to those schools partially off the formula.
Authorize a grantmaking process for circumstances where a non-profit organization is best suited to facilitate a program’s objectives.

According to LOFT, OSDE should:

Review all new legislation by July 1 of each year to identify an implementation strategy for new programs. The plan should include soliciting feedback from school districts, where appropriate, to identify potential problems with implementation.
Increase written communications to school districts to include: 1. The total preliminary state allocation from the federal government compared to the prior year, to serve as an indicator of whether schools should anticipate a reduction or an increase. 2. Notification of whether districts should expect to receive per-district preliminary allocations and an anticipated timeline for when final figures will be available.
Establish written policies and procedures for each division within the agency to ensure continuity of operations in the event of turnover. This should include an annual communication schedule.
Prior to communicating a plan to districts for implementing a program, ensure alignment of all departments that will be involved in the program.
Immediately seek written legal guidance when the agency identifies conflicts in statute.

Members of the Oklahoma House Democratic Caucus gave their thoughts in response to the LOFT findings.

“The continued lack of accountability from the Oklahoma State Department of Education further emphasizes the State Superintendent’s willful negligence. This puts our school districts and our kids squarely in second place to his own self interest,” Rep. Melissa Provenzano (D-Tulsa) said. “We have a state agency head unwilling to commit to improving service to schools. We have a state agency head unwilling to share how he plans to spend unused payroll dollars. The repeated calls by the public to ‘Do something about Supt. Ryan Walters,’ continue to go unanswered.”

“The State Superintendent says the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s objective is to ‘shrink government,’ but the objective should be establishing OSDE’s ability to effectively manage a multi-million-dollar state agency for a functional education system,” Rep. Meloyde Blancett (D-Tulsa) said. “I come from a business background, and if you had a CEO whose chief staff could not communicate effectively either internally or externally with primary stakeholders, they would be fired. My question is if OSDE is unable to effectively create a functional working relationship with school districts and the legislature, how can we possibly expect success to happen in schools for our kids?

Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters sent out the below X post in response to the LOFT report.

Complete waste of time and taxpayer dollars. Liberal teachers union lies fall apart. Let’s get back to educating our kids https://t.co/LclDOqg7jO
— Superintendent Ryan Walters (@RyanWaltersSupt) October 29, 2024
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Oklahoma

How to watch Oklahoma-Alabama in the College Football Playoff: TV/streaming info and more

Published

3 hours ago

December 17, 2025

Press Room

How to watch Oklahoma-Alabama in the College Football Playoff: TV/streaming info and more

For the second time this year, we’ll see Oklahoma and Alabama face off in a pivotal showdown.

The Sooners (10-2) will host the Crimson Tide (10-3) for a College Football Playoff showdown Friday at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma. The last time these teams faced off, Oklahoma came away with a 23-21 win over Alabama on the road.

Will Oklahoma once again topple Alabama? Here’s everything fans should know about Oklahoma-Alabama in the CFP:

How to watch Oklahoma-Alabama in the CFP

When: 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19

Where: Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (Norman, Oklahoma)

TV: ABC/ESPN Streaming: ESPN app

A prime-time showdown

None of the four first-round College Football Playoff games overlap, but Alabama-Oklahoma really takes center stage.

With the other three games on Saturday, including Texas A&M-Miami, this game is the only one on Friday night and doesn’t overlap with any of Saturday’s NFL action like Tulane-Ole Miss and James Madison-Oregon do.

It shouldn’t be as cold as it has been lately in Norman, Okla., as early forecasts are expecting temperatures in the lower-50s and upper-40s on Friday. Combine that with a 7 p.m. kickoff that gives Oklahoma fans plenty of time to tailgate and get riled up for the game, and “The Palace on the Prairie” should be a sight to behold as it hosts its first CFP game.

Oklahoma-Alabama head-to-head

Oklahoma and Alabama have faced off eight times in the past. The Sooners lead the all-time series 5-2-1. As we mentioned above, Oklahoma won the latest matchup in the 2025 regular season.

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— Brent Venables’ aggressive defense gives Oklahoma different look than past CFP teams

— Final College Football Playoff bracket: See where Texas Tech, A&M and Oklahoma landed

Find more Oklahoma coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

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Oklahoma

Children’s mental health facility reopens in Northeast Oklahoma

Published

15 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

Children’s mental health facility reopens in Northeast Oklahoma

Moccasin Bend Ranch, a residential treatment program in Wyandotte, has reopened after a remodel, expanding access to specialized mental health services for children ages 5 to 12. Leaders say the program fills a critical gap in Oklahoma, where options for young children needing higher levels of care remain limited.

A unique approach for younger children

Moccasin Bend Ranch is a 28 bed psychiatric residential treatment facility set on 12 wooded acres. The unlocked campus is designed to give children access to outdoor play and nature, something leaders say is essential for younger patients.

“This setting allows our kids to act like kids,” said Christina Holum, interim chief executive officer at Willow Crest Hospital and Moccasin Bend Ranch. “Watching them play gives us a renewed sense of purpose. We are confident this change will lead to better outcomes and happier, healthier children.”

The ranch focuses exclusively on children, a distinction that sets it apart from many other programs across the state.

Why early treatment matters

Mental health leaders say many children referred to Moccasin Bend Ranch have already tried outpatient therapy and medication management without success. By the time families seek residential care, behaviors are often increasing in both frequency and intensity.

“If outpatient services are not working, families need somewhere to turn,” said Grant Linihan, vice president of business development for Vizion Health, which owns the facility. “If our program was not available, these, kids, where are they going to go to get treated?”

Linihan and Holum say early intervention can help children develop coping skills and emotional regulation before problems follow them into adolescence and adulthood.

Inside the treatment program

Children at Moccasin Bend Ranch receive a full schedule of therapeutic services, including individual therapy, family therapy and group sessions. The program also emphasizes recreational and expressive therapies to help children process trauma and build skills in a developmentally appropriate way.

Staff members work with families to plan for discharge, aiming to ensure continuity of care once a child returns home.

Making the holidays feel normal

For some children, the holiday season can be especially difficult. Leaders say the ranch makes a point to celebrate milestones and traditions, even while children are in treatment.

The facility hosts holiday meals, seasonal activities and visits from community volunteers, including a volunteer Santa. Children are also taken to see nearby holiday light displays.

“We try to get them to reshape their minds,” Linihan said. “Even though you’re with us, this is still going to be a joyous time for you.”

A broader mental health need in Oklahoma

Mental health providers say the need for pediatric services is tied to broader challenges across the state, including limited funding and access to care. They note that untreated mental health issues in childhood can contribute to long term struggles later in life.

“There will always be a need for this type of service for a certain group of children,” Holum said. “If they cannot get help early, their prognosis becomes much worse.”

How families can get help

Families who are concerned about a child’s mental health can contact Willow Crest Hospital or Moccasin Bend Ranch for a free phone intake. Staff members can help parents determine whether residential treatment is appropriate or if outpatient care may still be an option.

Willow Crest Hospital, also operated by Vizion Health, is a 50 bed acute inpatient psychiatric facility in Miami serving adolescents ages 9 to 17. Together, the programs serve families from across Oklahoma, including hundreds of children from Tulsa County each year.

For more information, families can call (918) 542-1836 to speak with an intake specialist. You can also find their website here.

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Oklahoma

Former Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops announces retirement

Published

1 day ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

Former Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops announces retirement

Bob Stoops’ coaching career appears to be over. For real, this time.

The former Oklahoma football coach, who led the Sooners to a national championship in 2000, said Monday he would be retiring from coaching. Stoops had spent the previous three years as coach of the the United Football League’s Arlington Renegades.

“After much thought and reflection, I’ve made the decision to retire from coaching and step away from the game of football,” Stoops said in a statement released by the UFL. “Coaching has been one of the greatest honors of my life, and closing this chapter comes with lots of gratitude. …Thank you for allowing me to be part of this incredible game for so many years.”

Stoops’ first and only head-coaching job at the Division I level came at Oklahoma. He took over ahead of the 1999 season and stayed through 2016. OU went 190-48 overall while only suffering three-or-more defeats in Big 12 play four times. The Sooners’ 2001 Orange Bowl win capped 13-0 season and gave Oklahoma its first national title since 1985.

A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Stoops took over coaching Oklahoma after serving three years as Florida’s defensive coordinator. He retired from job at OU in June 2017, but lasted less than two calendar years as he was drawn to coaching the Dallas Renegades in the XFL.

The league folded in part because of the COVID pandemic before OU called on him again to serve as interim coach for the 2021 Alamo Bowl after Lincoln Riley left to coach Southern California. After that, he rejoind the Renegades, now rebranded as the Arlington Renegades in the UFL.

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