{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-70-70-5-117","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 70, § 70-5-117","heading":"Powers and duties","body":"A. The board of education of each school district shall have\n\npower to:\n\n1. Elect its own officers; provided that the chair of the board\n\nauthorized in Section 5-107B of this title shall be elected by the\n\nelectors of the school district;\n\n2. Make rules, not inconsistent with the law or rules of the\n\nState Board of Education, governing the board and the school system\n\nof the district, including converting all or part of a traditional\n\npublic school to a conversion school;\n\n3. Maintain and operate a complete public school system of such\n\ncharacter as the board of education shall deem best suited to the\n\nneeds of the school district;\n\n4. Designate the schools to be attended by the children of the\n\ndistrict;\n\n5. Provide and operate, when deemed advisable, cafeterias or\n\nother eating accommodations, thrift banks or other facilities for\n\nthe teaching and practice of thrift and economy, bookstores, print\n\nshops, and vocational and other shops;\n\n6. Provide informational material concerning school bond\n\nelections and millage elections, including but not limited to all\n\npertinent financial information relative to the bond issue, a\n\nstatement of revenue sources necessary to retire proposed bonds, a\n\nstatement of current bonded indebtedness of the school district, and\n\na statement of proposed use of funds to be generated by the proposed\n\nbond issue. The informational material shall not contain the words\n\n“vote yes” or “vote no” or any similar words or statement any place\n\non such informational material;\n\n7. Purchase, construct or rent, and operate and maintain,\n\nclassrooms, libraries, auditoriums, gymnasiums, stadiums, recreation\n\nplaces and playgrounds, teacherages, school bus garages,\n\nlaboratories, administration buildings, and other schoolhouses and\n\nschool buildings, and acquire sites and equipment for the operation\n\nof public schools or conversion schools;\n\n8. a. Insure the school district or its employees against\n\nany loss, damage or liability as defined by Sections\n\n702 through 708 of Title 36 of the Oklahoma Statutes,\n\nor other forms of insurance provided for in Title 36\n\nof the Oklahoma Statutes.\n\nb. Subject to the restrictions of liability in the\n\nGovernmental Tort Claims Act:\n\n(1) insure the school district against all or any\n\npart of any liability it may incur for death,\n\ninjury or disability of any person, or for damage\n\nto property, either real or personal,\n\n(2) insure any employee of the school district\n\nagainst all or any part of the employee’s\n\nliability for injury or damage resulting from an\n\nact or omission in the scope of employment, or\n\n(3) insure against the expense of defending a claim\n\nagainst the school district or its employee,\n\nwhether or not liability exists on such claim.\n\nc. As used in this subsection, “employee” means any\n\nperson who has acted in behalf of a school district,\n\nwhether that person is acting on a permanent or\n\ntemporary basis with or without being compensated or\n\non a full-time or part-time basis. Employee also\n\nincludes all elected or appointed officers, members of\n\ngoverning bodies of a school district, and persons\n\nappointed, and other persons designated by a school\n\ndistrict to act in its behalf.\n\nd. The cost or premium of any such insurance is a proper\n\nexpenditure of the school district.\n\ne. Any insurance authorized by law to be purchased,\n\nobtained or provided by a school district may be\n\nprovided by:\n\n(1) self-insurance, which may be, but is not required\n\nto be, funded by appropriations to establish or\n\nmaintain reserves for self-insurance purposes.\n\nAny self-insurance reserve fund shall be\n\nnonfiscal and shall not be considered in\n\ncomputing any levy when the school district makes\n\nits annual estimate for needed appropriations,\n\n(2) insurance in any insurer authorized to transact\n\ninsurance in this state,\n\n(3) insurance secured in accordance with any other\n\nmethod provided by law, or\ns Page 264\n\nmaintain reserves for self-insurance purposes.\n\nAny self-insurance reserve fund shall be\n\nnonfiscal and shall not be considered in\n\ncomputing any levy when the school district makes\n\nits annual estimate for needed appropriations,\n\n(2) insurance in any insurer authorized to transact\n\ninsurance in this state,\n\n(3) insurance secured in accordance with any other\n\nmethod provided by law, or\n\n(4) any combination of insurance authorized by this\n\nsection.\n\nf. Two or more school districts or public agencies, by\n\ninterlocal agreement made pursuant to the Interlocal\n\nCooperation Act, may provide insurance for any purpose\n\nby any one or more of the methods specified in this\n\nsection. The pooling of self-insured reserves, claims\n\nor losses among governments as authorized in this\n\nsection shall not be construed to be transacting\n\ninsurance nor otherwise subject to the provisions of\n\nthe laws of this state regulating insurance or\n\ninsurance companies, except as to the provisions of\n\nSection 607.1 of Title 36 of the Oklahoma Statutes.\n\nTwo or more school districts may also be insured under\n\na master policy or contract of insurance. Premium\n\ncosts may be set individually for each school district\n\nor apportioned among participating school districts as\n\nprovided by the master policy or contract;\n\n9. Acquire property by condemnation proceedings in the same\n\nmanner as land is condemned for railroad purposes. School district\n\nfunds may be used to erect buildings on leased land on which other\n\nbuildings have been erected prior to April 3, 1969, or on land which\n\nis leased from a governmental entity;\n\n10. Lease real or personal property to the state or any\n\npolitical subdivision thereof or a not-for-profit entity operating\n\npursuant to Section 868 of Title 18 of the Oklahoma Statutes for\n\nnominal cash consideration for so long as the use of the property by\n\nthe lessee substantially benefits, in whole or in part, the same\n\npublic served by the school district;\n\n11. a. Dispose of personal or real property no longer needed\n\nby the district by sale, exchange, lease, lease-\n\npurchase, sale and partial lease back, or otherwise.\n\nReal property shall be conveyed pursuant to a public\n\nsale, public bid, or private sale; provided however,\n\nunless otherwise prohibited by law, the board of\n\neducation of a consolidated or annexed school district\n\nor any other school district may convey real property\n\nto a local political subdivision or to an educational\n\ninstitution within The Oklahoma State System of Higher\n\nEducation or to a housing authority formed pursuant to\n\nthe provisions of Section 1057 of Title 63 of the\n\nOklahoma Statutes without consideration. Prior to the\n\nsale of any real property, the board of education\n\nshall have the real property appraised. The appraisal\n\nshall be confidential until the real property is sold.\n\nWhen the real property is sold, the board of education\n\nshall make the appraisal available for public\n\ninspection. Prior to the conveyance of any real\n\nproperty by private sale, the board of education shall\n\nhave offered the real property for sale by public sale\n\nor public bid. Any conveyance of real property by\n\nprivate sale to a nonprofit organization, association,\n\nor corporation to be used for public purposes, unless\n\nfor exchange, shall contain a reversionary clause\n\nwhich returns the real property to the board of\n\neducation upon the cessation of the use without profit\n\nor for public purposes by the purchaser or the assigns\n\nof the purchaser,\n\nb. If a board of education makes the decision to dispose\n\nof real or personal property that is leased at the\n\ntime the decision is made, whether such disposal is by\n\npublic sale, public bid or private sale, the lessee\n\nshall have a right of first refusal to purchase the\n\nproperty on the following terms and conditions:\nofit\n\nor for public purposes by the purchaser or the assigns\n\nof the purchaser,\n\nb. If a board of education makes the decision to dispose\n\nof real or personal property that is leased at the\n\ntime the decision is made, whether such disposal is by\n\npublic sale, public bid or private sale, the lessee\n\nshall have a right of first refusal to purchase the\n\nproperty on the following terms and conditions:\n\n(1) if a board of education receives a bid or offer\n\nin a public sale, public bid or private sale for\n\nany real or personal property that it desires to\n\naccept, then it shall provide notice to the\n\nlessee of the property. The notice shall include\n\nthe identity of the prospective purchaser of the\n\nproperty, the terms and conditions of the\n\nproposed sale and the purchase price to be paid\n\nby the prospective purchaser, and\n\n(2) the lessee shall have thirty (30) days after\n\nreceipt of the notice to inform the board of\n\neducation that it elects to purchase the property\n\non the same terms and conditions set forth in the\n\nnotice, in which event the board of education\n\nshall convey the property to the lessee on all\n\nthe same terms and conditions set forth in the\n\nnotice; provided, however, that if any portion of\n\nthe consideration included in the purchase price\n\nset forth in the notice is not in cash, then the\n\nlessee shall be entitled to pay the fair market\n\nvalue in cash of such noncash consideration;\n\n12. Purchase necessary property, equipment, furniture and\n\nsupplies necessary to maintain and operate an adequate school\n\nsystem;\n\n13. Incur all expenses, within the limitations provided for by\n\nlaw, necessary to perform all powers granted by the provisions of\n\nthis section;\n\n14. Contract with and fix the duties and compensation of\n\nphysicians, dentists, optometrists, nurses, attorneys,\n\nsuperintendents, principals, teachers, bus drivers, janitors and\n\nother necessary employees of the district;\n\n15. Establish a written policy for reimbursement of necessary\n\ntravel expenses of employees and members of the board. The policy\n\nmay include in-district travel from the site of employment\n\nassignment which is necessary in the performance of employment\n\nduties. The written policy shall specify procedures, contain\n\ndocumentation requirements, and may include payment of meal expenses\n\nduring authorized travel on a per diem allowance basis rather than\n\nitemized documentation;\n\n16. Pay necessary travel expenses and other related expenses of\n\nprospective employees for sponsored visits to the school district\n\npursuant to a written policy specifying procedures containing\n\ndocumentation requirements equal to or greater than the requirements\n\nspecified by law for state employees in the State Travel\n\nReimbursement Act;\n\n17. Provide for employees’ leaves of absence without pay;\n\n18. Exercise sole control over all the schools and property of\n\nthe district, subject to other provisions of the Oklahoma School\n\nCode;\n\n19. Allow district-owned school buses to be used for\n\ntransportation of students from other districts or educational\n\ninstitutions while within the district on educational tours. This\n\nshall not restrict the authority of the board to authorize any other\n\nuse of such buses which may now be permitted by law or rule of the\n\nState Board of Education;\n\n20. Enter into contractual agreements with the board of\n\ntrustees of a multicounty library system, as defined in Section 4-\n\n103 of Title 65 of the Oklahoma Statutes, a city-county library\n\ncommission, as defined in Section 152 of Title 65 of the Oklahoma\n\nStatutes, or a rural single county library system, as defined in\n\nSection 1-104 of Title 65 of the Oklahoma Statutes, on such terms as\n\nmay be mutually agreed, except no district board of education may\n\nenter into any agreement under which the library services for the\n\nschool would be provided at any site other than the school site or\n\nwhich would result in library services that do not meet\nahoma\n\nStatutes, or a rural single county library system, as defined in\n\nSection 1-104 of Title 65 of the Oklahoma Statutes, on such terms as\n\nmay be mutually agreed, except no district board of education may\n\nenter into any agreement under which the library services for the\n\nschool would be provided at any site other than the school site or\n\nwhich would result in library services that do not meet\n\naccreditation standards as required by law or rule;\n\n21. Perform all functions necessary to the administration of a\n\nschool district in Oklahoma as specified in the Oklahoma School\n\nCode, and in addition thereto, those powers necessarily implied but\n\nnot delegated by law to any other agency or official;\n\n22. Prepare and distribute at the expense of the school\n\ndistrict any and all material which has the purpose of informing the\n\npublic about district activities;\n\n23. Solicit and accept any gift, grant, or donation of money or\n\nproperty for the use of the school district. Any gift, grant, or\n\ndonation of money may be deposited in the general fund or building\n\nfund of the school district; and\n\n24. Pay necessary meal and lodging expenses of school district\n\nstudents and sponsors involved in authorized school-sponsored\n\ncocurricular activities. The board of education shall establish a\n\nwritten policy for reimbursement of necessary meal and lodging\n\nexpenses of school district students and sponsors. The written\n\npolicy shall specify procedures, contain documentation requirements,\n\nand designate the funds from which reimbursement may be made.\n\nReimbursement may be made from the General Fund.\n\nB. The board of education of any school district may rent real\n\nand personal property, if such items are necessary for the operation\n\nof the school, and pay the rental charges for the usage during any\n\nfiscal year, or portion thereof, out of appropriations made and\n\napproved for current expense purposes during the fiscal year. Any\n\nrental contract extending beyond June 30 of the fiscal year shall be\n\nvoid unless it contains provisions for mutual ratification of\n\nrenewal pursuant to the conditions provided for in this subsection.\n\nIt is the intent of this subsection to authorize boards of education\n\nto enter into lease contracts but not to incur any obligation\n\nagainst the school district in excess of the income and revenue\n\nprovided for such purposes for the fiscal year in which the lease\n\ncontract is operative. Any lease or lease-purchase agreement\n\nentered into by any board of education shall state the purchase\n\nprice of real or personal property so leased. The lease or lease-\n\npurchase shall not be extended so as to cause payment of more than\n\nthe original purchase price of the real or personal property, plus\n\ninterest not to exceed the legal rate. When the purchase price plus\n\ninterest has been paid, the property shall belong to the lessee and\n\nthe lessor shall deliver a deed or bill of sale to the property to\n\nthe lessee. When any real or personal property has been leased or\n\nrented during any fiscal year pursuant to the provisions of any\n\ncontract which permits continuance of the rental for the remainder\n\nof the fiscal year, the renting or leasing of the property shall be\n\ncontinued for the remainder of the fiscal year unless the board of\n\neducation renting or leasing the same certifies by proper resolution\n\nentered in the minutes of the board of education that the\n\ncontinuance of the rental is unnecessary and contrary to the public\n\ninterest. Any lease-purchase agreement entered into shall include\n\nthe right of a school district to acquire buildings, equipment or\n\nother facilities or discrete components thereof or improve school\n\nsites through a lease-purchase agreement. A school district may use\n\nproceeds derived from the sale of bonds as authorized by Section 26\n\nof Article X of the Oklahoma Constitution to make lease-purchase\nshall include\n\nthe right of a school district to acquire buildings, equipment or\n\nother facilities or discrete components thereof or improve school\n\nsites through a lease-purchase agreement. A school district may use\n\nproceeds derived from the sale of bonds as authorized by Section 26\n\nof Article X of the Oklahoma Constitution to make lease-purchase\n\npayments, including interest, under a lease-purchase agreement. For\n\npurposes of this subsection, the term “acquired” as used in Section\n\n26 of Article X of the Oklahoma Constitution shall mean the\n\npossession, control, or power to dispose of personal or real\n\nproperty.\n\nC. The boards of education of two or more school districts may\n\nenter into cooperative agreements and maintain joint programs\n\nincluding, but not limited to, courses of instruction for\n\nhandicapped children, courses of instruction in music and other\n\nsubjects, practical instruction for trades and vocations, practical\n\ninstruction in driver training courses, and health programs\n\nincluding visual care by persons legally licensed for such purpose,\n\nwithout favoritism as to either profession. The revenues necessary\n\nto operate a joint program approved in cooperative agreements,\n\nwhether from federal, state or local sources, including the\n\nindividual contributions of participating school districts, shall be\n\ndeposited into a fund separate from all other appropriated funds.\n\nThe beginning fund balance each year, combined with all actual\n\nrevenues, including collected and estimated revenues, must be\n\nappropriated before being expended. Purchase orders shall be issued\n\nagainst available appropriations and, once goods or services have\n\nbeen received, either payable or nonpayable warrants shall be issued\n\nin payment of all purchase orders. The fund shall be reported as a\n\nseparate appropriated fund in all the financial reports of the\n\nschool district which is chosen by the other school districts to\n\nkeep the accounting records of the joint program.\n\nD. The boards of education of two or more school districts may\n\nenter into a mutual contract or separate contracts with a\n\nsuperintendent, administrator, or teacher or with a person to\n\nprovide support services, to serve as superintendent, administrator,\n\nor teacher, as appropriately qualified, or to provide support\n\nservices, for each contracting district upon such terms and\n\nconditions as the parties may agree. Nothing in this section shall\n\nbe construed to authorize or require annexation or consolidation of\n\nany school districts or the closing of any school site except\n\npursuant to law as set forth in Section 7-101 et seq. of this title.\n\nE. Any school district may operate or maintain a school or\n\nschools on any military reservation which is within the boundaries\n\nof the school district or which is adjacent to the school district,\n\nand provide the instruction in the school or schools to children of\n\npersonnel on the military reservation and, in doing so, shall\n\nconform to all federal laws and requirements.\n\nF. The board of education of each school district shall adopt\n\nand maintain on file in the office of the superintendent of schools\n\nappropriate personnel policy and sick leave guide. The guide shall\n\nbe made available to the public.\n\nG. The board of education of any school district with an\n\naverage daily membership of thirty thousand (30,000) or more and all\n\nor part of which school district is located in a county having more\n\nthan five hundred thousand (500,000) population according to the\n\nlatest Federal Decennial Census may contract with a public or\n\nprivate nonsectarian entity for that entity to provide educational\n\nand administrative services for the school district. The\n\neducational services provided by a contracting entity may include\n\nbut are not limited to the delivery of instructional service in core\ning more\n\nthan five hundred thousand (500,000) population according to the\n\nlatest Federal Decennial Census may contract with a public or\n\nprivate nonsectarian entity for that entity to provide educational\n\nand administrative services for the school district. The\n\neducational services provided by a contracting entity may include\n\nbut are not limited to the delivery of instructional service in core\n\nand noncore academic subjects to the students enrolled in the school\n\ndistrict at one or more school sites or parts of sites within the\n\ndistrict pursuant to the terms of an educational services contract.\n\nAll educational service providers and their employees and\n\nrepresentatives and all educational and administrative services\n\nprovided under an educational services contract shall be exempt from\n\nall statutes and rules relating to schools, boards of education and\n\nschool districts to the same extent that a charter school is exempt\n\nunder the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act. For all purposes including\n\nbut not limited to attendance, funding from all sources and\n\naccountability, all students who are provided services by a\n\ncontracting entity pursuant to an educational services contract\n\nshall at all times be and remain students of the school district.","path":["OK Code","Title 70"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os70.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"8f60dbae88967660b924cad74926f838148bbd85ba0693ddd7ae11c34d8bb256","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-70-70-5-116a","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-70-70-5-117.1"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}