Committee approves school consolidation bill

<br>(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Legislation encouraging Oklahoma school districts to consolidate was approved by a legislative committee Thursday morning. <br><br>The House Edcuation Committee recommended passage

Thursday, February 6th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Legislation encouraging Oklahoma school districts to consolidate was approved by a legislative committee Thursday morning.

The House Edcuation Committee recommended passage of the Oklahoma School Voluntary Consolidation and Annexation Act. The measure now goes to the full House for action.

The measure authorizes the state Board of Education to allocate funds to school districts that voluntarily consolidate with other districts. Oklahoma has about 540 school districts.

Use of the funds would be limited to the purchase of textbooks, equipping classrooms, hiring teachers and other purposes.

Representative Wayne Pettigrew of Edmond says the bill is similar to one that encouraged school consolidation in the early 1990s.