Okla. Stat. tit. 70, § 70-3-129.3

A. 1. A public school, zone, or district may submit to its

school district board of education an empowerment plan as described

in subsection C of this section.

2. A school district board of education shall receive and

review each empowerment plan submitted pursuant to paragraph 1 of

this subsection. The school district board of education shall

either approve or disapprove the empowerment plan within sixty (60)

days after receiving the plan.

3. If the school district board of education rejects the plan,

it shall provide to the public school, zone, or district that

submitted the plan a written explanation of the basis for its

decision. A public school, zone, or district may resubmit an

amended empowerment plan at any time after denial.

4. If the school district board of education approves the plan,

it shall proceed to seek approval of the school, zone, or district

as an empowered school, zone, or district pursuant to Section 6 of

this act.

B. A school district board of education may initiate and

collaborate with one or more public schools of the school district

to create one or more empowerment plans, as described in subsection

C of this section. In creating an empowerment plan the school

district board of education shall ensure that each public school

that would be affected by the plan has the opportunity to

participate in the creation of the plan.

C. Each empowerment plan shall include the following

information:

1. A statement of the mission of the school, zone, or district

and why designation as an empowered school, zone, or district would

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 70. Schools Page 173

enhance the ability of the school, zone, or district to achieve its

mission;

2. A description of the innovations the school, zone, or

district would implement, which may include, but not be limited to,

innovations in school staffing, curriculum and assessment, class

scheduling, use of financial and other resources, and faculty

recruitment, employment, evaluation, and compensation;

3. A listing of the programs, policies, or operational

documents within the school, zone, or district that would be

affected by the innovations identified by the school, zone, or

district and the manner in which they would be affected. The

programs, policies, or operational documents may include, but not be

limited to:

a. the research-based educational program to be

implemented,

b. the length of school day and school year,

c. the student promotion and graduation policies to be

implemented,

d. the assessment plan,

e. the proposed budget, and

f. the proposed staffing plan;

4. A description of any statutory, regulatory, or district

policy requirements that would need to be waived for the school,

zone, or district to implement the identified innovations;

5. A description of any provision of the collective bargaining

agreement in effect for the personnel at the school, zone, or

district that would need to be waived for the school, zone, or

district to implement its identified innovation;

6. An identification of the improvements in academic

performance that the school, zone, or district expects to achieve in

implementing the innovations;

7. An estimate of the cost savings and increased efficiencies,

if any, the school, zone, or district expects to achieve in

implementing the identified innovations;

8. Evidence that both a majority of the administrators and a

majority of the teachers employed at the school, zone, or district

approve the empowerment plan and consent to the designation as an

empowered school, zone, or district. The determination of approval

and consent of the plan shall be obtained by means of a secret

ballot vote;

9. A statement of the level of support for designation as an

empowered school, zone, or district demonstrated by the other

persons employed at the school, zone, or district, the students and

parents of students enrolled in the school, zone, or district, and
red school, zone, or district. The determination of approval

and consent of the plan shall be obtained by means of a secret

ballot vote;

9. A statement of the level of support for designation as an

empowered school, zone, or district demonstrated by the other

persons employed at the school, zone, or district, the students and

parents of students enrolled in the school, zone, or district, and

the community surrounding the school, zone, or district; and

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 70. Schools Page 174

10. Any additional information required by the school district

board of education of the school district in which the empowerment

plan would be implemented.

D. Each plan for creating an empowered school zone or district

whether submitted by a group of public schools or created by a

school district board of education through collaboration with a

group of public schools, shall also include the following additional

information:

1. A description of how innovations in the schools in the

empowered school zone or district would be integrated to achieve

results that would be less likely to be accomplished by each school

working alone; and

2. An estimate of any economies of scale that would be achieved

by innovations implemented jointly by the schools within the

empowered school zone or district.

E. No employee of a school, zone, or district shall be

discriminated against by the school district board of education, the

superintendent of the school district, or any other administrative

officer of the school district or by any employee organization, an

officer of the organization, or a member of the organization for

exercising or not exercising the rights provided for under the

Empowered Schools and School Districts Act. An employee of a school

district or an officer or member of an employee organization shall

be prohibited from impeding, restraining or coercing an employee of

a school, zone or district from exercising the rights provided for

under the act or causing an employer to impede, restrain or coerce

an employee from exercising the rights provided for under the act.