The State Board of Education shall be the governing board of the State Department of Education and shall consist of seven (7) members. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction shall be a member and the chairperson of said Board. The remaining six members shall be appointed by the Governor by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. No person shall be eligible to be appointed to serve on the State Board unless said person has been awarded a high school diploma or certificate of high school equivalency. Any member appointed to the State Board after the effective date of this act shall complete the workshop requirements of a new school board member pursuant to Section 5-110 of this title within thirteen (13) months following or preceding the appointment of the member. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the State Department of Education shall not charge any member of the State Board of Education a fee for any workshop provided by the Department for board members pursuant to Section 5-110 of this title and shall not pay a fee to any organization or institution of higher education on behalf of a member of the State Board of Education, or reimburse any member of the Board for a fee paid to any organization or institution of higher education, for attendance at a workshop or courses to satisfy the requirements of Section 5-110 of this title.

The Governor shall appoint one member to serve for one (1) year; one member to serve for two (2) years; one member to serve for three (3) years; one member to serve for four (4) years; one member to serve for five (5) years; and one member to serve for six (6) years. Said members shall serve until their successors are duly appointed and qualified. Their successors shall be appointed for a term of six (6) years, and thereafter the term of each member of said Board shall be six (6) years. An appointment shall be made to take effect on April 2 of each year. Except for the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, a member shall be appointed from each congressional district, and any remaining members shall be appointed from the state at large, not to exceed more than one member from any one county, city or town. However, when congressional districts are redrawn each member appointed prior to July 1 of the year in which such modification becomes effective shall complete the current term of office and appointments made after July 1 of the year in which such modification becomes effective shall be based on the redrawn districts. Appointments made after July 1 of the year in which such modification becomes effective shall be from any redrawn districts which are not represented by a board member until such time as each of the modified congressional districts are represented by a board member. No appointments may be made after July 1 of the year in which such modification becomes effective if such appointment would result in more than two members serving from the same modified district. Upon the occurrence of a vacancy the same shall be filled by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate at the next session of the Legislature, such appointments to be made for the unexpired term.

Terms of the members shall be staggered so that only one term expires each year. Each member of the Board shall receive necessary traveling expenses while in the performance of his duties in accordance with the State Travel Reimbursement Act, Section 500.1 et seq. of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

Provided, that persons serving as members of the State Board of Education on the effective date of this act shall continue to serve as members of the State Board of Education for the terms for which they were appointed.

Laws 1971, HB 1155, c. 281, § 3-101, emerg. eff. July 2, 1971; Amended by Laws 1985, HB 1164, c. 178, § 52, emerg. eff. July 1, 1985; Amended by Laws 1989, SB 81, c. 2, § 40, emerg. eff. April 25, 1990; Amended by Laws 1992, SB 935, c. 364, § 8, emerg. eff. June 4, 1992; Amended by Laws 1994, HB 2238, c. 210, § 1, emerg. eff. May 20, 1994; Amended by Laws 2002, SB 396, c. 375, § 15, eff. November 5, 2002 (superseded document available).