Edmond Public Schools Says Budget Is In Crisis

Edmond Public Schools said their district is in a crisis if they lose $4 million in funding from the state.

The district used 14 buses, paid by the PTA, to bring about 700 educators, parents and students to Monday's education rally, hoping to convince lawmakers not to cut from schools.

They're not your average bus riders, but this load of Edmond educators are all on board when it comes to funding.

School board members to superintendents shared seats as the wheels on their school bus went around to the State Capitol.

3/31/2014 Related Story: Thousands Of Teachers Join At Capitol To Rally For Education

Edmond teachers joined thousands of other educators at the rally.

"The people who are here today recognize that we are at a crisis point," Edmond Public Schools Superintendent Dr. David Goin said.

"Edmond schools is one of many in the state struggling financially, a direct result of more than $2 million in cuts in education at a time when enrollment in the state is increasing rather dramatically," Dr. Goin said.

Edmond educators are rallying for funding from the state after they say a budget shortfall will cause the classroom sizes to swell to about 30 students per class.

"I'm an English teacher, and that's a lot of papers to grade, it's a lot of needs to meet," Sequoyah Middle School sixth grade teacher Elizabeth Luecke said.

"I don't understand why I have to leave my classroom to come and beg for adequate funding to be able to meet our budget needs in Edmond next year," Luecke added.

Luecke and dozens of teachers took their concerns to Senator Clarke Jolley, who expressed to the educators he couldn't make any guarantees in terms of funding, since the state has so much to handle as is.

All these educators said they hope more does happen and soon.

"I don't feel like the general public knows the dire straits that education is in, and it's not throw more money at it, it's just give us the money to operate," Luecke said.

"It's frustrating, and we are passionate, and I think we've been quiet for way to long, our voices have got to be heard," said Luecke. "That's the only power we have. We don't have the money, but we have our voices and the numbers."

In order to attend the rally, Edmond teachers had to take a personal day and pay for a substitute teacher to cover their class.