Group says teacher union contracts 'bleeding Oklahoma schools dry'

"Few people realize that a typical public school, in Oklahoma or anywhere in the nation, spends roughly 80 percent of its budget on labor costs," says the Education Action Group, which recently analyzed collective bargaining agreements from six prominent Oklahoma school districts. "Many of those costs originate in union collective bargaining agreements."

We believe the taxpayers of Oklahoma will be surprised to learn how much their local school districts spend on labor, and how much money could be saved through union concessions or changes in state law. ... If any sacrifices are necessary, they should be made by the adults who staff the schools, not the students.