From staff reports The Oklahoma State legislature has passed a law to provide $9.5 million in additional funding to the Oklahoma State University Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Signed into law in May, HB 2927 appropriates funds through the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry to support county Extension offices, ag research stations and the Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center at OSU.
The funding allocations address the growing need for updates and improvements at the Food and Agricultural Products Center while supporting off-campus personnel in OSU Extension and at OSU Ag Research experiment stations statewide. The critical discoveries and scientific solutions recorded at these facilities are the backbone of proven agricultural management methods and practices offered to the public throughout the state by OSU Extension.
The following funding increases were implemented on July 1.
• Continuing salaries for off-campus personnel (all receive at least a 10% raise)
• $2.2 million for county Extension staff
• $.3 million for off-campus experiment station staff
• $6 million (one-time allocation) for upgrades and improvements to the Food and Agricultural Products Center
• $1 million (ongoing) for Food and Agricultural Products Center personnel Starting salaries for Extension educators will increase to $41,000 for those with a bachelor’s degree and $45,000 for educators with a master’s degree. Existing salaries for off-campus personnel are targeted to improve retention and enhance recruitment.