Oklahoma Teachers Receive Bonuses Up To $50,000; Why Officials Want it Back?

Oklahoma education officials are attempting to get bonuses of up to $50,000 paid out to several teachers after it was found that the money was mistakenly distributed.

Oklahoma officials are attempting to get up to $50,000 bonuses from teachers. (Photo: Getty)

$50,000 Bonuses for Teachers in Oklahoma

The state of Oklahoma gave a bonus between $15,000 and $50,000 each last fall to encourage them to fill in some positions. However, the education officials this time are now attempting to get the money back because they claim that the bonuses were mistakenly given.

In a published article in CBS News, the Oklahoma State Department of Education demanded earlier this month that some teachers who mistakenly received the bonus should return the money at the end of the next month. The watchdog organization Oklahoma Watch also announced this on Thursday.

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Why Teachers Should Return the Money?

According to an article published in The Messenger, a total of $185,000 went to teachers who didn’t qualify for the program at all, and $105,000 was overpaid to teachers who qualified for a lesser amount.

Meanwhile, special education teacher Kristina Stadelman said, “I got an email … it was like the second week of January, saying I have to pay it back by the end of February. I’m like, how am I supposed to do that?” She also added that she used the money for several home improvement projects and a down payment on a car for her growing family.

Furthermore, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters said through a memo that some of the errant bonuses were because teachers had “misrepresented their experience and qualifications.”

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