FY25 School Transfer Audit Completed: School Choice in Action, But More Work Ahead to Ensure Real Access

The Oklahoma Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (OEQA) has completed its FY25 School Transfer Audit, a key accountability measure designed to ensure that Oklahoma’s open transfer policy is being implemented with transparency, fairness, and fidelity to the law.

Open transfers are one of several school choice tools available to Oklahoma families. Together, this policy, alongside charter schools, virtual options, and the state’s tax credit program for private school and homeschool expenses, empowers parents and ensures every child has access to the education that works best for them.

FY25 Audit Results: Strong Compliance and Cooperation

Under Senate Bill 783 and House Bill 3038, families can request a transfer to any public school district in the state. Districts must post information about available seats at each site, updated quarterly, to help families make informed decisions.

Each year, OEQA randomly audits 10% of Oklahoma school districts to ensure the law is being followed. In FY25, 51 districts were selected and all 51 participated, demonstrating strong cooperation and a shared commitment to transparency.

Key findings include:

• Policy Access and Visibility: All audited districts had a current transfer policy and posted capacity numbers on their website.
• Quarterly Updates: A small number had not posted their final-quarter updates, but those issues were corrected during the audit process.
• Need for Clarification: Many districts sought guidance on the law’s requirements, reinforcing the need for continued clarity around legislative intent and implementation expectations.

While technical compliance is high, the process also highlighted the need to ensure that the law isn’t just being followed but that it’s working as intended for Oklahoma families.

Research Shows Room for Improvement: Are Families Getting the Full Picture?

An 2024 independent study by Dr. Deven Carlson, published in the Oklahoma Education Journal, suggests that many families may still face challenges when trying to use the open transfer system.

Dr. Carlson’s research, based on data collected about a year ago, found that:

• Only 28% of districts fully complied with requirements to post currently available seats by grade level, updated quarterly.
• 23% of districts had no capacity information posted at all.
• Some listed total classroom capacity, but not how many seats were actually open to transfer students.
• Many postings were difficult to find, requiring multiple clicks or downloads.

Dr. Carlson also noted that larger districts with more administrative staff were more likely to meet the requirements. This shows that smaller districts may face greater challenges with implementation due to capacity constraints.

Reconciling the Two Efforts: Complementary Views, One Shared Goal

While OEQA’s audit and Dr. Carlson’s research reflect different findings in some areas, they represent two complementary perspectives on the same issue.

• OEQA’s audit focused on confirming whether districts had adopted a board-approved transfer policy and posted capacity numbers on their website, as required by law.
• Districts selected for audit were notified, which may have prompted them to update postings or address gaps before materials were formally reviewed. This means that compliance rates during the audit may reflect corrected conditions rather than day-to-day practices.
• In contrast, Dr. Carlson’s study evaluated compliance without advance notice, offering a valuable point-in-time snapshot of what families might see in real life when navigating district websites.

Together, these findings tell a fuller story: Oklahoma has taken meaningful steps to expand school choice and increase transparency, but ongoing efforts are needed to ensure that every family can access the system as intended.

Moving forward, OEQA plans to explore unannounced audits to better reflect the real-time experience of parents using the transfer process.

More Work Ahead: Ensuring Every Family Can Use the System

Beyond compliance and research, OEQA continues to hear from families and district leaders about practical challenges that affect how the transfer system functions in the real world.

Transfer Limitations for Students with Disabilities

Under current law, districts may deny a transfer for a student with an IEP if they determine they cannot adequately provide the required services. This provision helps ensure that students’ needs are met appropriately and that districts are not overextended. However, it also means that not all transfer requests can be approved, particularly in cases where specialized services or staffing may be limited.

Seat “Holding” and Underreporting

Some districts appear to hold back reporting available seats, particularly during summer, in anticipation of new resident students moving in. While not prohibited, this practice can limit transparency and prevent families from knowing about open seats until the school year is close to starting or has already started, making the transfer difficult on families and students.

Inconsistent or Outdated Reporting

OEQA found that some districts conflate total capacity with availability, or post data without a clear update date. As Dr. Carlson’s review noted, others require multiple clicks or downloads to access the information, making the process unnecessarily difficult for parents seeking timely decisions for their child’s education.

These are not always violations of law but they undermine the spirit of the policy, which is to provide families with actionable information.

Next Steps: Clarifying and Strengthening the Law’s Impact

In FY26, OEQA will continue to conduct annual audits while also expanding its focus to ensure the open transfer system works as intended. Areas of emphasis will include:

• Clarifying expectations around reporting “available seats”, not just total enrollment;
• Ensuring updates are posted consistently and clearly, without unnecessary clicks or file downloads;
• Supporting smaller districts in achieving compliance without adding unnecessary administrative burden;
• Exploring unannounced reviews to better mirror the parent experience;

As Oklahoma continues to lead the nation in expanding educational options, OEQA is committed to supporting these efforts through accountability, transparency, and practical support. We are proud to help ensure that school choice works for families not just in theory, but in practice, so that all students, regardless of their zip code, can access a high-quality public education that fits their needs.