Mid Del Schools has called for a $125 million bond vote on December 14th. Its purpose to close and tear down several schools in the district, remodel and expand others.
Your thoughts?

Seems to have done some good in OKC. Hopefully Norman will someday soon fully ditch and not cling to the modular classroom dependency of the past. There's been progress, but not as much as there could be

It's about consolidation and remove redundancy as the population distribution in the district changes. Do we really need Sooner Rose and Traub elementaries 1/2 a mile away from each other? No. If you look at the populations, the Del City side has been slowly losing ground...in fact they are going to be 5A soon since they are at the bottom of the ASDM numbers....#32 to be exact in the last count. Now that West Side is also empty, why keep it? They always had to come up with reasons to keep the building popluated.

So I'm really in favor of it. Unfortunately, when they brought it up last time, they had a lot of people give the old arguement of "i went to this school and so should my kid". So that totally ignores the issue and doesnt fix anything.

I do wish the district would advertise more what their plan is. The last slideshow they had on it (which is on their site) isn't valid anymore and doesn't really tell you what they are going to do anyway.

Good points so far. Havent really decide if for or against, just want to get more information other than the little blurb in the paper

I think that the proposal is absurd. Spending that amount of money in this economy shows the utter contempt that the school administration holds for the voters. If the administration was remotely accountable they would have sold the redundant schools to allow newer development and more tax revenue.

Have found out they intend to close, Traub, Rose, West Side and Jarman, ALso Kerr and Highland Park.
Gonna double the size of Del Crest and Townsend and move other admin function to Monroney.
Several new schools proposed to include Country estates and a new one out east........

I can see reasoning for everything but Jarman. The middle school kids feeding Jarman would go to Monroney? That's a long way - probably would need bus service increased for some neighborhoods.

I think part of Jarman's reasoning is that so much of the place is sooooo old and not well maintained. I went to jarman and really enjoyed my time there. But I won't be super duper sad to see it go. What I do think, is that they need to doze it and rebuild it somewhere rather than just tossing another middle school. They've said for quite some time they think Monroney can handle all of the students....but I've always looked at it and thought....um Monroney isn't the size of MCHS and that's the population you're talking about squeezing in there...about 600 more kids. Seems like Monroney really isn't prepared to handle that unless they increase it by several wings. And if you're going to do that, then why not just rebuild Jarman in phases? I'm all for consolidating elementary schools, but the middle schools don't seem empty enough for it to make sense to me.

What does the school district intend to do with the profit from selling the schools? Some of the sites they're looking to sell have major commercial development potential. Any chance they're going to scale back future bond issues for awhile?

Bombermwc - I agree - another middle school is needed to replace Jarman.
It's too bad that, historically, at least part of Jarman (the original MCHS) can't be preserved. As the OSM slowly gets renewed, we lose some of the flavor of the neighborhood. Progress is good - but so is history so we can see our roots.

I have never heard of Jarman in my entire life attending to Mid-Del schools!

I agree on demolishing West Side, but only to flatten the land to make it pretty and ready to be sold.

Sooner Rose needs to be long gone and so do those yellow lights.

Traub needs to be resold for other uses and remove the yellow lights and the stop light.

Highland Park? Never heard of it.

No reason to terminate Kerr. Expand, yes, please. Terminate? Hell no.

Thunder - have you never attended a football game at Rose Field in MWC? The building just to south of Rose Field is Jarman Middle School, home of the Rockets. The original MWHS was built there.

I don't remember. Rose Field? My memory gone shot. lol

Oh, wait, when did MWCHS relocate? I am trying hard here to remember. Oh, the MWCHS is behind the school board office building is where I took my DL courses.

Yeah, the school behind the new shopping center. I went to that field once when DCHS and MWCHS played together. I thought that school was MWCHS, but then again the other one was, too. Hmm, I did not really pay much attention. lol I remember that school there, but been a long time since I drove by it. Knew of a school there, went to the football field there once, but never knew of the Jarman name. :-O

Thunder...wow. Let me give you some background. Mid-Del schools started at Jarman. It was the original school...the first. It started as temporary sctructures until they area raised enough money to start building an actual school. It served as THE school until they started splitting things out. MCHS moved to 15th St (and if you've never seen it, all i can say is that you must be really blind). About the same time, they built East and West Side elementaries. That's the period when Mid-Del exploded as the population in the Mid-Del area also exploded. MCHS was actually rebuilt on it's current site as well...so what you see now isn't anything like what it was when it first moved. I'm told the first building on 15th was pretty crappy. For some more detailed info on the history, I can direct you to the MCHS Band website... http://bomberband.com/history.html

Jarman isn't as rough as it once was though either. An airplane crashed into the building back in the 60's or early 70's...can't remember which. It burned a lot of the building so about half of the school isn't that old. Really, the only OLD part is the far west section that's the old "house" type construction. Mrs. Woodard, Cody, Dobbs, Hennsesy, Mr Adams, etc. were all on that end when I was there. There's never been anything specatular about the building, but they made significant improvements my Freshman year. They repainted everything inside, put new flooring down, and then replaced the lockers the next year. The doors all sucked, but honestly, I never felt like it was any more crappy than any other school in the district. What it does have against it is that it's not very friendly for upgrades. Modern technology doesn't fit well in that building and it's always had to be "made to work". Even the computer labs at that time were squeezed in there.

I wish they had kept the gymnatorium though. It's been a LONG time since they bricked up that wall and just left it as the second gym, but it would have been better than the cafetorium crap they have now...that NO ONE uses. That little dinky stage isn't worth anything. Here's a picture of what it WAS like: http://bomberband.com/pictures/56-57/56-57%20band.JPG

Thunder, I think you'll appreciate these: Here are two shots of the MCHS Band playing at the opening of Crossroads Mall
http://bomberband.com/pictures/7576/crossroads2.JPG
http://bomberband.com/pictures/7576/crossroads.JPG

Yep, in watching the video put out by the school board, it would appear they are really wating a lOT of money just in basic maintenance of these 50+ year old buildings. From a financial standpoint most buildings do reach a end of useful life span and renovations of such old buildings can be more expensive than just build new.
Kerr Jr High kinda sucks as my three all went there but it has burned down twice and is the home of the ONLY school student homicide in the district and that was in 73. I also understand that Kerr is in the Tinker air base flight zone and if something ever happened to it again it could NOT be rebuilt so I would consider this a reasonde stratigic move to replace it while they can......................$125 million though wow...my aching back. Some times I think I am the only donkey pulling the load

Redskin, when did Kerr burned down twice? Using the term, burned down, technically states the entire complex to the ground. Last I checked, it is all still standing. It is a great school and I went there for 3 years. Very spacious, too. There really is no need or reason to demolish this school.

You mentioned the flight zone... LOL! There are other houses in the area. And right behind the school, there are new businesses slowly developing as a shopping plaza/center.

kerr severely burned in the 80's and again in the 90's both times rebuildable.
Yes if you look at the Tinker Flight path overlay it is in the APZ zone

Interesting history. Whole time I was there not a single noticeable scar or new bricks. Fascinating.

I still do not think it should be destroyed.

Did the fire happen during school hours?

No, both of them were after hours and I think the second one was during Christmas break........But Frankly I would have to check with some old fire guys for an accurate answer

The district does a good job of maintaining, it does well with the bond money that it's patrons give through passage of bonds. Interesting is that we can get so much for not raising or taxes, it is a continuation of the existing tax which is the way the schools like to do bonds. Bonds are the only real way to raise revenue for maintnance items and new construction in accordance with state law. In the presentation I saw it showed the populations of the various schools in question and the numbers are done from where they were years ago, so the room is there. MMS is not as full as you might think, and Jarman isn't "that" far away. Mile??

It is costly to maintain old structures through advances in technology to keeping it cool and warm. If you can reduce the number of buildings you have to maintain and get newer more efficiant ones in the mean time, with out increasing our taxes what is not to like? In the end our students and community deserves the very best it can get and this district has always done well with my tax dollars.

I think they are also prepping the district for 20 years from now when the numbers have decreased even more and MCHS and DCHS are both 5A....at which point, you really only need 1 middle school per high school. Consolidate now and you don't have to worry about it later. Both of their school boundaries are basically full at this point and enrollment won't go up unless they start adjusting the lines to include some of the CAHS area. Land area wise, CA has more space than MCHS and DCHS combined. But the population is much more sparse out in CAland.

well it failed, but just barely.
Wonder if they will bring it up again or let it go?

15 votes! That's all it failed by - I hope they try again and this time, get more information out.
Some of our neighbors did a knee-jerk "close Jarman? Oh, no!" reaction, rather than look at repercussions as bombermwc explained so well. Plus, The Oklahoman did a horrible job at explaining the issue - one of the articles said all of the affected elementary schools were closing, instead of explaining they were consolidating.
I don't have any kids in Mid-Del anymore, but any thinking person should be able to make the leap from good schools equal higher property values.
Mid-Del gets an "F" for educating the public, but Mid-Del voters get an equal grade for not doing homework.

well the majority did still vote for it, but that stupid 60% rule that schools have to follow is why it failed. I'd like to see the 60% thing go.

Personally, I think Jarman and Kerr should stay, but I'd rebuild Jarman and rehab Kerr....or even rebuild it. Monroney and Del Crest aren't any better off than some of the elementary schools they want to toss...but I'm not going to stand in the way of something being done.

I remember going to East Side as a kid and seeing thick layers of plaster/paint peeling off every classroom wall. The wallpaper stuff didn't always stay down. The lights often went out and then made your class smell like burned popcorn. Noisy window air conditioners and heaters that the maintenance people had to come and light every year. Things like that just brush off to an 8 year old, but you look back and think...man that place sucked. I have a lot of wonderful memories there and really LOVED all of my time in Mid-Del, but at the same time, I"m not going to force someone to stay in a building that stinks just because I went there.....which is the arguement a lot of people are making.

for a 15 vote difference they should recall the vote. They can after 60 days I believe.
I think perhaps they went a bridge to far.........which did stick in peoples craw.
I agree though we need to improve our school building stock. Just because my three went to Kerr doesnt lessen the fact it is an old school

And why not start on the level of going elementary schools first. Then work on middle schools later or something like that.

One thing that blows, is now the band room at MCHS won't get expanded either. The band doesn't even all fit in the same room anymore. And for 20 years now, they have to have half the band rehearse (in concert season) in the lobby of the fieldhouse because there isn't a second room in the current building.

if they are serious about saving money through energy efficiency, they should have the architects design some world class, green buildings. use geothermal heating and cooling, high-tech control systems, and sustainable materials... then put the building drawings on posters and in presentations. prove that what they say they are selling is worth us buying. instead they were cocky and assumed that they would get what they asked for....maybe now they will remember they have constituents who deserve to be included in the planning disucssions.

Well said. I'm sick of being expected to write a blank check because it is "for the schools."

I notice today the West Side school was nearly demolished. Did they do that ahead of time expecting this bond issue will pass?

Ever wonder why MWC has a poor reputation? You have school buildings that were built in 40's & 50's that have pretty much reach the end of their useful life, but apparently that is too much to ask for some of the community. Edmond passes a bond issue for a swimming pool and we can't pass one for new buildings.

Do you know how much the old buildings are costing the district in maintenance and heating & cooling costs? I promise they don't need to be "green" (and the extra $$ that comes associated being certified Green) to save the district a ton of money. MWC fire dept has made several runs to Soldier Creek this year because of furnace problems, and that is probably one of the better schools.

It is sad.

What year was the DCHS built and the status on the whole campus?

Thunder - to answer the previous question - West Side was vacated as part of a totally different Plan. It wasn't part of the bond issue at all. It was emptied out before the start of the school year (basically the orchestra was the only permanent group left in there and now that's at Del City High). They district was looking for an out to offload the building and it was approved by the board way earlier this school year. It will be sold off and the funds put into the district's funds.

As for DCHS - I don't know the exact dates, but I believe it follows a similar history as MCHS. Moved to the current site somewhere in the 50's, but most got torn down to the ground and rebuilt over the next decade as things like the Commons were added. And they did both get a facelift in the mid 90's when the stucco got added. Neither building has AS MANY old crappy areas as the elementary schools though. For the most part, the district has always spent more on high schools than the lower schools as far as keeping them at a certain level (which is still lacking). The roof's at both schools still stink though...they're flat roof structures and they leak all the time. MCHS was notorious for having trashcans around the building when it rained. No matter how many times they put a new roof on, it still happens.

I thought I should mention one thing that not too many poeple have paid attention to. I want to make a statement in supporting the superindenent. He is miles and miles ahead of Dr. "Screw You" Steele.

From day 1 - he started clearing house in the district of all the people that stayed on as Dr. Steele's money mooching enclave. A good number of people got the "I'm not going to stand for this crap and you can either quit/retire or get fired". I applaud him for cleaning things up.

He's not a hands-off person like she was. He gets down in the trenches and gets his hands dirty (literally) when there is a problem. Two quick examples: 1 - When that wind storm (never confirmed tornado) tore the roof off MCHS' commons a few years ago, he came in and helped clean up. He was pushing water out the door just like the janitors and staff. Dr. Steele would have just told someone to go do it. 2 - Monroney's band room had a fire at the beginning of the year from a stolen truck running into the building (it was set on fire and let run into the buildng - it wasn't intentionally aimed at the building, it just ended up in the path of the vehicle). At 2am, he's there helping move all the equipment out of the band room (music/instruments/chairs/stands/etc) so it can avoid water damage. Again, Dr. Steele would have had someone do it for her.

He's also a thurough planner. This bond issue was the result of years worth of studies he's had going on. He's had this focus on buildings since he got to the district. In fact, in his first year in the disctrict, he came to a MCHS band event and spoke to the boosters on some of his plans and did a 30 minute Q/A with them. Steele just wanted to cut band out as a drain while she got a raise (there was a protest in 96 about that...she didn't win). In the lunches he has every week with kids from each high school, one of his questions was about the buildings from day 1, and that's something the kids don't like either. The MCHS kids mentioned the ever-leaking roof for one. But what impresses me is how he does listen. He listens to what people say and includes that in his planning instead of ruling from on-high like Steele did. I've personally met both of them and it's night and day. All I can say is, I really wish this thing would have passed. Even though it kills one of the schools I went to, I know it would have been better in the long run.

And just because it means someone can't walk to school anymore, doesn't make it a bad thing. When people give reasons like that, it makes me think "so you'd rather have them walk to the paint peeling, falling apart crap building, than go to a brand new nice school". Or the tired excuse of "my dad went to this school, I went to this school, my kid goes to this school....blah blah". Except the fact your grandkid went to the school you did probably tells you that it's not a good thing....we're not talking about turn of the century historic built like a rock schools, we're talking about crap that was slapped together in the 50's folks.

I have never seen any leaking roof when I was there. And I remember they replaced new roof on top, I think I was still there or afterward, that part I don't remember, but I remember seeing guys up on top replacing the roof. The inside was leak-free and it is a good school, very spacious.

if they are serious about saving money through energy efficiency, they should have the architects design some world class, green buildings. use geothermal heating and cooling, high-tech control systems, and sustainable materials... then put the building drawings on posters and in presentations. prove that what they say they are selling is worth us buying. instead they were cocky and assumed that they would get what they asked for....maybe now they will remember they have constituents who deserve to be included in the planning disucssions.

Really?

You think $160MM is bad, just go ahead and triple or double that if you want them to do what you're suggesting.

Bomber & Midtowner are spot on with their previous 2 posts.

Well they had replaced the one at MCHS when i was there in the 90's....that's the whole point why it's crap. The roof just doesn't last no matter what you do. When I went to East Side, I remember part of the roof being redone every year. That smell is unmistakable.

Flat roof = bad mojo and guaranteed leaks. I would like to see a conversion like Crutcho did to a metal angle roof...but that's really expensive and doesn't solve the population shift problem that consolidation fixes.

Bomber, thanks for your insight as to the new admin. It seems like folks such as Millie and easternobserver are the sorts of ignorant ne'er-do-wells who hold us back. They have obvious strong opinions based upon what they perceive is going on. Yet they have no actual knowledge as to any of the facts on the ground. Sad really. The District needs to hire a PR person and give this another shot. Recruit the parents to get out the vote where possible.

Mid and Bomber - you are both on target. The negative publicity overran the facts of this bond issue. Both my kids went through the Eastside/Jarman/MCHS route and I did my time as a PTA mom, etc. These schools are sick buildings and need to be updated, repaired or replaced. Sadly, from what I heard as I stood in line to vote - I think the older voters were completely confused and didn't understand what was being voted on. (Yeah - I'm "older", but lucky enough to have neighbors who work in the system)
And Bomber - right on in your comments about Steele! Worst superintendent we ever had!
I hope they can call this one again in February - but there has got to be some educaiton done first.

Bomber, thanks for your insight as to the new admin. It seems like folks such as Millie and easternobserver are the sorts of ignorant ne'er-do-wells who hold us back. They have obvious strong opinions based upon what they perceive is going on. Yet they have no actual knowledge as to any of the facts on the ground. Sad really. The District needs to hire a PR person and give this another shot. Recruit the parents to get out the vote where possible.

I think will pass rather easily next time around. Many voting parents (and others) didn't think there was much danger of it not passing and led to a low turnout.

Mid, are you suggesting that I'm ignorant of the facts of the bond issue, or of life in general?
I'd bet nearly anything I have that I've been to more Mid-Del school board meetings than you, and that I know more about the political issues behind the decisions that the school board made about the schools that are closing, etc. I'm all for progress, if it is truly progress and not the padding of somebody's pockets/personal interests.
The truly ignorant, imho, are the people who vote yes in every election posed by a school district because they feel that they are truly voting in the best interest of students, education, or the area's future. If you have reviewed all the facts (and not just the schools' glossy brochure) and you genuinely believe that the proposed bond--exactly as proposed--is best for the Mid-Del area, then your opinion is different than mine but at least educated. If you want to make the blanket statement that everybody who voted against the bond is against all progress then you, my friend, are the ignorant one in this matter.

I'm going to have to defend Millie to some extent here. If you actually firmly believe that the plan was not in the best interests of the students, then that's totally your right to have that opinion....and it was expressed in the vote. However, all we had to go off of was the statement about the kid not being able to walk to school anymore. That, I feel, is an example of an uneducated voter.

I believe the district would be open to other options, and if you would like to form a plan to present to the board, I'm sure they would at least consider it. If I had a way to rebuild Jarman, I would like to do that. I don't like the fact that they are closing two middle schools and making the district have only 3 total (and those being the size of each of their corresponding high schools). HOWEVER, considering the state of the facilities, I'm ok with that happening if it means the other facilities get that work done. If you took a look at the new elementary school and compare that to what is around now....i think you will see the difference. There was a good 3D model somewhere, and now for the life of me can't remember where it was.

It also means the middle schools that will be left will get a significant improvement and facelift. They will be adding on to those locations to make room for the new students. Hopefully the staffs will merge rather than just riff them as well. For something like band, when you merge Jarman and Monroney, you need that 3rd director (monroney already also has an assistant since they have so many band students) so you don't have someone teaching all 7 hours a day. I say that because they'll have to split up the band classes even more than they are now to physically fit the kids in the room. Keep this small example in mind....

The MCHS band room was to be expanded in this bond issue because they don't fit in the current building. When you go from middle school to high school, you lose a few kids in band...it just happens. So you take the high school band and add even more kids to it...try to cram that in a middle school band room. Not gonna happen.

http://www.koco.com/education/27017209/detail.html

The fight begins! Its time to remove those schools and the yellow lights!

(But... Leave Kerr Jr High alone!)

Thunder - that's the problem, no one wants "their school". Voters decided that it was more important to maintain crappy pieces of junk, but have them in THEIR area, than give the students new, modern, capable buildings. They'd rather have 60+ year old schools with lead pain, asbestos, leaking roofs, bad technology, etc, than get new buildings much better prepared to teach a child. No one want's "their" school to go because " my pappy went there, i went there, and little johnny went there". Big whoop. Again, little Johnny is getting a pile of crap to go to school in...way to look out for his future.

And I'm not going to be called hypocritical here....I went to Jarman, which was on the block for closure as well. I agree that it's a pile of crap as well. I don't neccessasrily believe that Del Crest and Monroney can handle the influx of students when Jarman and Kerr close, but I'd rather see improvements made at those facilties than continue with the crap that is Kerr and Jarman. And considering the declining enrollment at Del City High and their slip down to 5A in the next year or so, 1 middle school will be adequate. Midwest City is going to get there too, it just might take a little longer for enrollment to drop enough.

So what the school board is saying to the public is, "we're going to force your hand. This work HAS to be done and it's now up to you to give us the funds to make up for it. If you don't, then overcrowding will continue and it will be your fault for not voting for it...twice". On one hand I do think it's crappy that they are moving ahead before they have a plan in place, but on the other hand at least this way the voters really need to get their heads out of their butts and vote this time.

Point of note though, the last bond issue BARELY failed. And many people reported they didn't go vote FOR the measure because they didn't think it would have any problem passing given the district's past passing rate. If they re-voted on it, it would pass. The district failed to get the masses out last time...they won't make the same mistake again.

I love the 7, 8, and 9th for Jr High (Mid-Del changed the term to Middle) and the 10, 11, and 12th for high school. You say that there is declining enrollment at DCHS. Well... Since Mid-Del got it right while most other schools got it wrong, but... I guess they could move over the 9th with the high school group and move over the 6th with the middle school group. Altho, it will be a disastrous graduation change among exiting elementary and middle levels.

I love the 7, 8, and 9th for Jr High (Mid-Del changed the term to Middle) and the 10, 11, and 12th for high school. You say that there is declining enrollment at DCHS. Well... Since Mid-Del got it right while most other schools got it wrong, but... I guess they could move over the 9th with the high school group and move over the 6th with the middle school group. Altho, it will be a disastrous graduation change among exiting elementary and middle levels.

Thunder - they've already done that - Mid-Del Schools have been 6-8 and 9-12 for a few years now.

Thunder - they've already done that - Mid-Del Schools have been 6-8 and 9-12 for a few years now.

Amazing. Good thing I was done before that awful change.

well its official.
The school board in an emotional knee jerk reaction voted to surplus and sale Sooner and Traub.

and they didnt allow any citizen input. Just called the motion, voted and walked away

well its official.
The school board in an emotional knee jerk reaction voted to surplus and sale Sooner and Traub.

and they didnt allow any citizen input. Just called the motion, voted and walked away

'Spect they knew they'd get hysterical patrons.

I'm willing to bet a lot of the same people upset about this voted against the bonds. There ain't no money tree. I feel bad for them. I expect few of them really thought this would happen.

http://www.koco.com/education/27031807/detail.html

Kerr Jr High was saved!!!

well its official.
The school board in an emotional knee jerk reaction voted to surplus and sale Sooner and Traub.

and they didnt allow any citizen input. Just called the motion, voted and walked away

Why do you consider it an "emotional knee jerk reaction"?

how do you not have a public hearing? oh wait, they had one -- it was called an election, and they lost.

Why do you consider it an "emotional knee jerk reaction"?

because I know one of the school board members.........and I know their thoughts on loosing the election..................
hope that answers your question

http://www.koco.com/education/27031807/detail.html

Kerr Jr High was saved!!!

no thunder, shallow victory, they want Kerr shut down and that will also happen, this is merely the first shot

how do you not have a public hearing? oh wait, they had one -- it was called an election, and they lost.

If you consider 59.9% to 40.1% a loss, you are correct.

Money spent has to be cut somewhere. Pouring it into buildings that are past their useful life doesn't seem like a great idea.

because I know one of the school board members.........and I know their thoughts on loosing the election..................
hope that answers your question

OK. Then what should be done?

Any ideas on how to move forward? Status quo?

OK. Then what should be done?

Any ideas on how to move forward? Status quo?

How would you proceed?

How would you proceed?

Well, I honestly believed closing down old buildings & consolidating (which would a great idea for the state overall) these schools was a good idea. I am sure these were all great schools in their day, but it's time for some decisions to be made. Maintaining all of these seperate buildings, plus having principals, suppport staff etc that go along with all these seperate schools is unecessary.

So basically what the school district proposed. Not saying their plan was perfect, but something needs to be done. I see where Edmond is getting started on their swimming pool that their voters for the night we didn't pass ours.

I've always been a consolidation fan myself. This was a great plan that actually would have allowed for a lot of cost savings. Why the crap do we think we had Maps for Kids folks....it was the same damn thing....this time it's just Mid-Del. The people that make the same old arugment of "that's where i went to school" simply ignore the problem and wany money to come from nowhere....it's stupid.

Thunder - as for enrollment, the OSSAA has what's called ASDM's (average student daily attendnce numbers). They have always calculated 9-12 whether the school had 9the graders or not so that it was a fair count across all districts. The 9th graders at the Mid-Del jr. highs were counted into their high school numbers. So when the 9th graders moved up, the numbers didn't change. That also means that the decline in enrollment at DCHS continues. They are #32 in 6A (the smallest 6A school). Shawnee moves back to 5A in the next 2 year rotation (classes are determined on a 2 year basis, not anually). But between Shawnee, US Grant, NW Classesn, Booker T, Tulsa Memorial....that last 6A spot will be up for grabs and it's not going to be Del City for long. US Grant actually has more students enrolled, but they didn't attend classes. That's why their principal (a former Jarman teacher) pushed for so kids to put their butts in their seats. It affected their enrollment and actually bumped them above Midwest City in size....crazy huh.

So we can either attempt to attack the problem and do something that gives the students better facilties and resources, or we can continue to stick our head in the sand and ignore it. The majority of voters passed the bond issue. If failed to pass because of the stupid backwards super-majority that ONLY schools have to have....and by less than 300 votes. So to say the district overwhelmingly lost, is false. The voters showed they want it by a majority. Now the district will simply start the closure process on it's own and overcrowd the school. Then they can use that as a means to say they need school expansion and the bond will be re-organized and passed. So folks, whether you wanted your schools closed or not...it's happened. Next in line, Jarman and Kerr. If it doesn't happen this year, i bet it happens next year. But it's a lot harder for Monroney and Kerr to absorb that many kids than Sooner Rose and Traub to split to other schools in the area.