In response to recent changes by the U.S. Department of Education to the Rural and Low-Income Schools program, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister is requesting that the state’s congressional delegation intercede on behalf of Oklahoma schools. In her letter to Oklahoma’s U.S. senators and representatives, Hofmeister says the loss of approximately $1.04 million in RLIS funds will adversely affect many rural school districts and likely force the reduction of services to their students.

She says they must do everything in their power to ensure the change in policy is reversed as abruptly as it was enacted, which is why she is asking the members of Oklahoma’s congressional delegation to intervene on behalf of the rural schools.