Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025 • Sunny and slightly warmer. Highs upper 40s to lower 50s.

Today’s Memo:

• The State Department of Education releases letter grades for every public school in Oklahoma. Link in story.

• Oklahoma Watch shines a light on lawsuits that accuse State Farm of running a hail scheme.

• A look back at the OSU football season, and what could have been — if only Hauss Hejny didn’t get injured.

By Nuria Martinez-Keel, Oklahoma Voice
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OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma State Department of Education has assigned the state a D grade for academic achievement in public schools but a C in learning growth for the 2024-25 school year.

The agency on Monday released its annual Oklahoma School Report Cards, which included A-F grades for each public school and for statewide averages. 

Results of state reading and math tests, the basis of the “academic achievement” category and the No. 1 factor in a school’s overall grade, came out two months ago with more rigorous scoring. A stricter definition of “proficiency” in reading and math lowered academic achievement rates across the state.

Three fewer schools received an F grade, but grades declined overall with more schools earning a D, the Education Department reported.

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By JC Hallman, Oklahoma Watch
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On Oct. 4, 2023, a vicious hail storm battered the Broken Arrow home of Billy and Lacy Hursh. Billy Hursh, 39, a Tulsa police lieutenant and leader of the SWAT negotiator team, was able to spot gouges to the shingles of his steep-roofed four-bedroom house from the ground. But it wasn’t until a worker got up close that the full extent of the damage was revealed.

“A tree-trimmer got up on the roof and said, ‘You’ve got a hole in your roof,’” Hursh recalled.

Two contractors confirmed that a roof replacement was required; one of them grimaced when he learned who had written the Hurshes’ homeowners’ policy.

“They were very confident,” Hursh said. “But they said, ‘Oh, State Farm is never going to pay out on this.’”

Click here to finish the story.

By Ryan Welton & Jeremy Cook, Oklahoma Memo
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Oklahoma State’s 2025 collapse looks a lot different when you remember starting QB Hauss Hejny broke his foot in the first game. In the latest “Bedlam Buds,” Jeremy and Ryan walk through how a healthy Hejny might have meant a bowl game, Mike Gundy still in Stillwater, and why OSU fans will be watching Eric Morris and North Texas against Tulane like it’s a sneak peek at the Cowboys’ future.

Watch or listen to the conversation, below:

Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.

Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.

A hand-curated list of the best journalism from across the state:

• ‘She was our queen’: Tulsa community celebrates life and legacy of Mother Fletcher (Tulsa Flyer)

• Oklahoma National Guard to deploy to Washington, D.C. (KOCO)

• OKC schools extends Superintendent Jamie Polk’s contract, ups her salary (Oklahoma Voice)

• State urges U.S. Supreme Court to deny review of tribal member's tax exemption request (Tulsa World)*

• Icy roads lead to more than 350 crashes, 3 fatalities across Oklahoma (KOCO)

• Why weren't Oklahoma highways pre-treated before Monday's ice? (KOCO)

• Oklahoma sues vendor after fire damages Sequoyah lodge and restaurant (Oklahoma Voice)

• Oklahoma program aims to fill long-term care shortages by certifying high schoolers (Oklahoma Voice)

• Neighbors of new Tulsa data center offered ‘preblast inspections,’ but not everyone got the same offer (Tulsa Flyer)

• Final Coweta data center vote delayed to February at earliest (2 News Oklahoma)

• Google is backing a Tulsa initiative giving badges to STEM students. Here’s how they’re expanding. (Tulsa Flyer)

• Man charged with murder in death of Hugo woman (KXII)

• 'One Lucky Cowboy' tells the life and career of former Oklahoma State President Burns Hargis (KOSU)

• Federal shift away from 'housing first' puts 150 people at risk in Oklahoma City (KOSU)

• Recent book on lethal injections criticizes Oklahoma (NonDoc)

• 'Charity scams' are on the rise. What to watch out for during holidays. (The Oklahoman)*

• Oklahoma businesses hope for strong holiday shopping season despite tariffs (The Oklahoman)*

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