OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Oklahoma teachers were shocked Tuesday when voters rejected a penny sales tax proposal on the ballot to fund raises for teachers and other education programs.

Nearly 60 percent of Oklahoma voters rejected State Question 779, which would have increased the state sales tax by a penny to give teachers a $5,000 raise and send money to higher education programs – both items the legislature declined to address in the last session, News OK reports.

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Yes for 779 proponents included state Superintendent Joy Hofmeister, University of Oklahoma President David Boren, and others with the Oklahoma State School Boards Association and Professional Oklahoma Educators. The political action committee Oklahoma’s Children, Our Future spent around $4 million on TV, print and digital ads, and polling showed about 60 percent of folks supported the measure, according to Oklahoma Watch.

Many city leaders, and the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, opposed SQ 779 because they believed there was better ways to fund teacher raises. The proposal would have apportioned about 70 percent of the revenue for “teachers and schools,” about 20 percent for “college affordability,” and roughly 8 and 3 percent for “early childhood” and “career training,” respectively.

“Oklahomans want money to get to the classrooms,” OCPA vice president Estela Hernandez told Oklahoma Watch. “Oklahomans just weren’t willing to have their taxes raised to the highest in the nation to achieve that teacher pay raise.

“There are wiser and more effective ways,” such as ending wind energy credits and reducing school administrative costs, she said.

State Sen. A.J. Griffin told News OK his constituents didn’t like that the SQ 779 tax was permanent, and the across-the-board teacher raises do not take their performance into account.

High school biology teacher Jessica Pierce said she’s looking for a job in another state after Tuesday’s results.

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“I love my state, and I don’t want to abandon my students. But I also have to think about my own children,” she told Oklahoma Watch.

“If it had been like a half a cent tax, and only going to teacher salaries, I think we would have had a better chance,” she said. “But with it being a full percentage and with it split with other departments, I think that hurt us.”

All eyes are apparently now on the state Legislature to figure out a way to give teachers raises next year.

“This was not a statement that teachers shouldn’t receive a raise. This was a statement that the Legislature must do its duty and produce a better plan.

“The first piece of legislation I will introduce for consideration in the 2017 legislative session will propose to provide teachers a $10,000 raise,” Sen. David Holt posted to Facebook.

Holt introduced a $400 million plan for teacher raises in January that was shot down.

Gov. Mary Fallin also vowed to pursue teacher raises.

“The voters have spoken, and I’ll be meeting with our new legislative leaders to discuss a course of action on the issue of teacher pay raises,” she said.

“We will be relentless in securing a pay increase for teachers this session,” said Ginger Tinney, executive director of Professional Oklahoma Educators. “And I do think our legislators will give that to teachers. I don’t know if it will be packaged the same as the state question. I don’t see higher ed getting a chunk. We will put every ounce of strength into achieving that goal.”

“(The Legislature) better get to work very quickly and come up with an alternative plan,” University of Oklahoma’s Boren said.

Enid mayor Bill Shewey, also chairman of the opposition group Oklahoma Deserves Better Campaign, told News OK SQ 779’s defeat is a good thing.

“It is now critical that we move forward to create a comprehensive plan that will ensure that our schools, teachers and our children receive the state funding they deserve while also protecting and diversifying the funding stream for other levels of government,” he said.