By Janelle Stecklein/ CNHI State Reporter May 7, 2021 6 hrs ago Fifth-grade students sit in class during the first day of school Aug. 18, 2016, at Jefferson Elementary. Kyle Phillips / The Transcript OKLAHOMA CITY â Some state senators are questioning whether a highly-touted piece of legislation that seeks to equalize public school funding is the best way to bridge the divide between property-poor rural and property-rich urban and suburban communities. There are fears that the late-session push to get Senate Bill 229 across the finish line is merely a âknee jerk reactionâ to a controversial â and unpopular â settlement entered into by the State Board of Education that has resulted in nearly 200 lawsuits filed by school districts. That settlement, with the Oklahoma Public Charter School Association, would give charter schools access to new local and state revenue streams.