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Don Ford, a veteran Oklahoma educator who leads a rural schools network, initially thought state Superintendent Joy Hofmeister didn鈥檛 鈥渦nderstand the workings鈥� of schools outside the state鈥檚 major cities.

But then Hofmeister, a former teacher and onetime owner of a Tulsa tutoring company, put half a million miles on her car traveling throughout the state. She listened as educators spoke of the challenges facing small-town schools. 

“She was willing to listen and learn by getting out into our districts,” Ford said.

Educational options in those communities are now center stage as voters prepare to choose their next governor. Incumbent Gov. Kevin Stitt is campaigning on a statewide platform and promises to 鈥渟upport any bills 鈥� that would give parents and students more freedom to attend the schools that best fit their learning needs.鈥�

A that died in the Senate earlier this year would have opened them to children in families that earn roughly three times what it takes to qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, with most awards ranging from $5,900 to about $8,100. Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, a Republican, has pledged to if Stitt wins.

But Hofmeister, who switched parties to challenge Stitt as a Democrat, has called the proposal a because it would pull funding from traditional districts.

鈥淚 have gone to those communities that have lost their school, and then they lose their town,鈥� Hofmeister told 麻豆精品. 

As the leader of one of the reddest states in the country, Stitt fully embraces the GOP education agenda, from how teachers discuss race and gender to a policy that allowed students to use bathrooms that match their gender identity. In his State of the State this year, he said, 鈥淕od gave kids to parents 鈥� not the government!鈥� He , who is finishing her second term, for a lack of improvement in Oklahoma schools, while she points to financial scandals under his watch.

show Stitt鈥檚 lead over Hofmeister shrinking 鈥� a reflection, some say, of the power of her message about rural schools. 

鈥淲e鈥檝e hit on an issue that strikes at the heart of a community鈥檚 identity,鈥� said Amber England, a public affairs and political consultant who previously ran an education nonprofit. 

A Hofmeister supporter, England said Stitt might roll into a rural town 鈥渨ith a hat on and cowboy boots,鈥� but doesn鈥檛 grasp that his proposal won鈥檛 help students in remote areas without private schools.

Rural schools depend more on state funding than those with a larger tax base, said Ford, executive director of the Organization of Rural Oklahoma Schools. Vouchers, he said, could translate to an annual loss of $350 million in funding for public schools.

鈥淲e鈥檙e worried about money,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nytime you take money out of the formula, how are you going to replace it?鈥�

But Trent England, a fellow at the conservative Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, accused Hofmeister of seeking to preserve a one-size-fits-all system and 鈥渢rying to scare people鈥� by implying vouchers will shutter rural schools 鈥� often the largest employers in these towns. 

鈥淭here are serious problems in public schools, and that鈥檚 not limited to urban areas,鈥� said England, who is not related to Amber England. 

鈥楬ard feelings鈥�

On his campaign website, Stitt said Hofmeister hasn鈥檛 done enough to fix Oklahoma鈥檚 schools, which have ranked low for decades. The 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress put the state among those performing the U.S. average in math and reading. 

Hofmeister said one way to improve schools is to address the state鈥檚 teacher shortage. She has proposed a $5,000 as part of a budget request for next year鈥檚 legislative session. Meanwhile, Stitt proposed a bill that would push some teacher salaries to as high as . But the only legislation that passed was a new incentive and scholarship to push high schoolers to major in education when they go to college. 

Oklahoma teachers haven鈥檛 had a substantial raise since 2018, when the legislature passed a $6,100 increase, falling short of the $10,000 they asked for. They walked out for nine days, part of the wave of 鈥淩ed for Ed鈥� demonstrations across the country. Walking out even after lawmakers boosted their pay, Ford said, 鈥渃reated hard feelings between the teachers and legislators鈥� that linger today. 

鈥淥ur teachers don鈥檛 feel respected,鈥� he said. 

Those feelings have only increased with Republicans鈥� efforts to clamp down on lessons and educator training that address institutional racism, . In July, the state board of education the Tulsa district鈥檚 accreditation after a state prompted by Stitt concluded the district鈥檚 training materials violated the state鈥檚 law banning critical race theory. 

鈥淚 firmly believe that not one cent of taxpayer money should be used to define and divide young Oklahomans by their race or sex,鈥� he said in on the audit. 鈥淟et’s teach students, not indoctrinate them.鈥� 

Ryan Walters 鈥� the state鈥檚 education secretary, a new position created by the governor 鈥� has tweeted calling out teachers he says push far-left ideology. Walters, who is running for state superintendent, trails Democrat Jena Wilson, a middle school teacher in Oklahoma City, according to a released last month.

鈥淢any teachers state they don鈥檛 know how they will be able to remain teaching should the outcome of the race be a win for both men,鈥� said Stacey Woolley, president of the Tulsa Board of Education. 鈥淢any have directly said they will resign immediately.鈥�

鈥極verseeing the money鈥�

In addition to decrying Stitt鈥檚 culture war focus, his critics draw attention to the misuse of $650,000 in federal relief funds distributed through ClassWallet, an online payment system for educators. Walters oversaw the $8 million program, which offered $1,500 grants to low-income families for educational expenses. 

But some spent the money on video games, Christmas trees and cookware, a . that in his role as executive director of an education nonprofit, Walters helped ClassWallet secure the contract. The ClassWallet鈥檚 parent company, Kleo Inc., for breach of contract.

Stitt鈥檚 campaign did not respond to requests for comment. 

With Hofmeister and Stitt scheduled to debate on the 19th and the election still weeks away, the race is expected to be close. 

Kenneth Hicks, a political science professor at Rogers State University, said the results might hinge more on voter reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court鈥檚 decision in , which took away the constitutional right to abortion and returned the decision to the states. 

鈥淚t was easy as a campaign issue for Stitt to say he would sign any ,鈥� Hicks said 鈥淩epublicans may be finding themselves regretting jumping on that issue with both feet.鈥�

Regardless of the reason for the race鈥檚 narrowing gap, some of Stitt鈥檚 supporters are nervous.

鈥淔or Republicans, it鈥檚 certainly closer than it should be,鈥� Trent England said, but added Oklahomans are 鈥渟taunchly pro-life鈥� and support the governor鈥檚 opposition to transgender females using girls鈥� locker rooms. 

In a state that was solidly Democratic until its Congressional delegation began to shift in the 1980s, Amber England is hoping for an upset. As someone who led a successful campaign in the state in 2020, she鈥檚 seen surprises on Election Day.

鈥淰oters don鈥檛 get enough credit for making good decisions at the ballot box,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f we鈥檙e able to run a race in Oklahoma on the issue of protecting public schools, that鈥檚 a game changer for our friends across the country.鈥�

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