David Boren To Deliver Signatures For Education Sales Tax Plan

University of Oklahoma President David Boren to join teachers, students and other supporters of public education to deliver signatures in support of placing a penny sales tax on the November ballot.

Supporters of the State Question 779 will deliver the signatures to the Secretary of State's office Thursday.

Say Yes To Schools website

The group had until mid-May to gather the roughly 123,000 signatures needed to place the proposal on the ballot, but Boren said last month they already had surpassed 200,000 signatures.

If approved by voters, the constitutional amendment would increase the state sales tax by 1 cent for education funding. Supporters say about $378 million of the expected $615 million generated would be used to fund raises for teachers.

The rest, or $125 million, would go to higher education: $50 million would be for grants; $50 million would be for early childhood programs; and $20 million for vocation and technology education.new

3/10/2016 Related Story: Oklahoma Education Sales Tax Question Petition An Easy Sell

The Associated Press contributed to this report.