New Moore elementary school plans??

[SoonerDave]

Hey...

Several months back, a sign claiming a new Moore elementary school was put up in front of a large tract of land over on South Portland, just south of SW 119th beyond Eagle Heights church...but nothing has happened, and obviously nothing is going to happen in time for the upcoming school year. Anyone know what happened to that project?

[andimthomas]

They're still building the elementary school. If I remember correctly, they're building two elementary schools and one junior high.

[Jesseda]

when do they plan on moving 6th grade to jr high?

[SOONER8693]

The whole reason for building southMoore was overcrowding at the junior highs. Now, they plan to build a new junior high. The opening of a third high school was a disaster and not needed. It was a complete cluster f*** from the word go, orchestrated by a clueless administration. It was sure good for Westmoore and Moore high however, all of the riff-raff went to southMoore.

[kbsooner]

The whole reason for building southMoore was overcrowding at the junior highs. Now, they plan to build a new junior high. The opening of a third high school was a disaster and not needed. It was a complete cluster f*** from the word go, orchestrated by a clueless administration. It was sure good for Westmoore and Moore high however, all of the riff-raff went to southMoore.

Maybe you could expound on your reasoning here, I'm not sure I see many facts backing this up..

[andimthomas]

Maybe you could expound on your reasoning here, I'm not sure I see many facts backing this up..

I agree. Overcrowding was a huge issue. Especially at Westmoore and Brink Jr. High.

[SOONER8693]

I've been an employee of the district for 30+ years. There is a substantial amount of inside info that I will not expose on a public message board. If the average patron knew all of the "crap" that has gone on at southMoore on a nearly daily basis, people would be asking why it was needed and why it was rushed up so fast. The opening of a third high school has done nothing to change the overcrowding at WHS. Our numbers are down very slightly. A new junior high could have accomplished more, especially at Brink. I've probably said more than I should. Out.

[bombermwc]

Sorry but thats not true Sooner. If Southmoore hadn't been built, then Moore and Westmoore would have had an extra 500 or so students than they do right now because of the 9th graders being added. So while the overall enrollment might seem to be similar, it's not. Also, if that were true, then Southmoore would be empty....which it's not. And the demographics are completey NOT what you make them out to be. All you have to do is look around at the OSSAA numbers for ADM's to see enrollment figures. FYI Moore and Westmoore actually have FEWER in their ADM than before. ADM's are counted with 9th graders included whether they attend the high school or not. So, the ADM that Moore and Westmoore had before the split and 9th graders were added to the school...were already included in their ADM. Southmoore was built based on the growth of the school district and you will see how district lines are going to be altered for the new elementary and junior high. Also at that point, they will be moving 6th graders.

BTW, find me a district where crap doesnt happen everyday and politics doesnt get involved.

[andimthomas]

I've been an employee of the district for 30+ years. There is a substantial amount of inside info that I will not expose on a public message board. If the average patron knew all of the "crap" that has gone on at southMoore on a nearly daily basis, people would be asking why it was needed and why it was rushed up so fast. The opening of a third high school has done nothing to change the overcrowding at WHS. Our numbers are down very slightly. A new junior high could have accomplished more, especially at Brink. I've probably said more than I should. Out.

I go to Southmoore. And I'm pretty sure I know some of the things you're talking about. But that has nothing to do with Southmoore being a new school. It could happen anywhere. I agree that Southmoore shouldn't have been rushed. I also think that they should've waited for more funds so they didn't have to use their money on the cheap materials like they did. The quality of the building bothers me. Everything was rushed. They could've waited another year or two. But I'm glad it was finished. Brink was ridiculous.

[kbsooner]

Sorry but thats not true Sooner. If Southmoore hadn't been built, then Moore and Westmoore would have had an extra 500 or so students than they do right now because of the 9th graders being added. So while the overall enrollment might seem to be similar, it's not. Also, if that were true, then Southmoore would be empty....which it's not. And the demographics are completey NOT what you make them out to be. All you have to do is look around at the OSSAA numbers for ADM's to see enrollment figures. FYI Moore and Westmoore actually have FEWER in their ADM than before. ADM's are counted with 9th graders included whether they attend the high school or not. So, the ADM that Moore and Westmoore had before the split and 9th graders were added to the school...were already included in their ADM. Southmoore was built based on the growth of the school district and you will see how district lines are going to be altered for the new elementary and junior high. Also at that point, they will be moving 6th graders.




BTW, find me a district where crap doesnt happen everyday and politics doesnt get involved.

This makes a lot of sense. I graduated WHS in 95 and we already were at capacity.

[bombermwc]

You guys keep forgetting how bonds work. In Oklahoma, you are only allowed to raise so much in capital bond funding for a school at a time. They did what they had to do in order to be able to build as much SCHOOL as possible. That's why some of the smaller projects for the school were pushed back. That's why the place has a smaller gym instead of a fieldhouse (for example). You can't raise 40 million for a new school in a single bond issue...it's illegal. So you raise the max you can and build what you need to provide an education. Then in later bond issues, you add to the school with other projects you had in the masterplan. Heck, Westmoore never got their fieldhouse built and Moore never got an auditorium. Look how long it took those projects to even get approved by a bond election and they are still several years off from being completed...or even started in construction.

Another thing in the bond world is that just because the bond passes, doesnt mean that you can just rush out and start building. You have to go through contract proposals and approvals, design approvals, the board has to sign off on things, etc. Those of you that think Southmoore was rushed, aren't exactlly on track there. While the general public might have thought that it was a rushed plan, the administration had been planning it for some time behind the scenes. Even teachers at the high schools knew about it several years before the election was even discussed, and they got information after it was already significantlly planned.

I've yet to find anything really wrong with the building. When I've been in there, (and the last time I was there, I was pretty much all over the place inside), I didn't see anything wrong. In fact the even I was there for had comments from other schools on how nice the place was, how great it was for the event, and how it was a great facility. And that was from Union folks...so....

[oneforone]

Some of you are probably to young to remember that Westmoore also had design problems since the time it opened in 1988. The school was built by RGDC the same people who built the Oklahoma County Jail. Over the years the school had to have structural, foundation and roofing repairs that all resulted from design flaws.

[andimthomas]

Southmoore was leaking the first few months it opened everytime it rained. It was really bad. You could see wet spots in the walls in the fine arts concourse.

Southmoore does have a field house. Right now, they're building two more athletic facilities. I believe one is a locker room and one is some sort of indoor practice facility. The band finally got their tower up so they can actually clean drill now.
Moore will have a fine arts wing or building built in a few years also.

[CS_Mike]

You can't really consider the current enrollment numbers to be reflective of how it's going to be in a few years. I believe students were given the option of which school to attend if they had lettered in a sport at Moore/Westmoore the previous year. Thus many students have chosen to remain at Moore or Westmoore until they graduate. As those students move on, they will be replaced by underclassmen who will be forced to attend Southmoore. I know that at least the seniors this past year were given this option, and perhaps the juniors as well.

As for the building quality, I don't think that the school's land was graded very well. Very early in the school year (or perhaps in the couple of weeks before it opened), the front of the school flooded during a heavy rain. Water seeped in through the front doors. That area is pretty much flat and may actually sit slightly lower than some of the land around it, so I don't understand why nobody thought it possible that it might flood easily.

[andimthomas]

The huge land in front of the school is detention area. The two driveways leading into the school are about three or four feet higher than the detention areas between them. Everytime there's a big storm, they turn into huge ponds. And usually even overflow into the driveway.
Only people who lettered in sports were given the option to stay. They didn't allow this for band. I don't know about the other arts, but it was totally unfair. It's not like athletes worked any harder than the band kids did to letter. We had a whole page of requirements to even be under consideration of lettering.
Only seniors were given the choice to either stay at their current school or go to Southmoore. 261 seniors chose Southmoore. I believe the district accepted open transfers to Southmoore, no matter where you lived. But this will probably end next school year. Two of my friends live right next to Moore and they go to Southmoore.

[bombermwc]

I totally understand the band thing. But Mewhorter and his staff did an EXCELLENT job this year considering the extremely tough situation. New school, really young group, and all the unknowns. The experienced guard and drumline really helped out the band this year and gave them the time to get the new students filtered in over the next couple of years. That band is going to do great things in the coming years.

But how many places get built and don't have any problems at the start? It's the growing pains of new construction. You find the problems and deal with them.

And at Southmoore, they have a gym, not a fieldhouse. Moore has a fieldhouse...ie arena type seating and not just bleachers.

[kbsooner]

Moore Monthly | We are Moore-connected!

[andimthomas]

Moore Monthly | We are Moore-connected!

Nice idea, but I don't understand why it says 'and ease pressure of playing at one full-size stadium'. I don't think a football field and an arena would fit on that land.

[kbsooner]

Nice idea, but I don't understand why it says 'and ease pressure of playing at one full-size stadium'. I don't think a football field and an arena would fit on that land.

Take out the bus barn and you've got more than enough. Parking on the other hand may be an issue...

[russellc]

bombermwc,
where did you get that a fieldhouse has to have arena seating. The definition is "a building enclosing a large area suitable for various forms of athletics and usually providing seats for spectators." It says usually provides seat, they aren't even necessary for a building to be called a fieldhouse. A fieldhouse can sometimes be used only for storage and lockers.

[bombermwc]

Yeah but you look around and you'll see the schools that call their facility a fieldhouse as one that is arena like...MWC, DC, CA, Moore, UCO, etc. Otherwise, it's just a gym...fancy or otherwise. Soutmoore got the cheap end of the stick in regards to the gym...much like Wesmoore had.

[andimthomas]

Southmoore doesn't have a field house for a football stadium, no. Our field house is where all the sports locker rooms, offices, and weight rooms are. And we don't have any bleachers with the football field. It's just a practice field. It might get turfed in a few years, from what I've heard...

[andimthomas]

Take out the bus barn and you've got more than enough. Parking on the other hand may be an issue...

I'm up for anything that gets rid of Central Stadium. That place is beyond words. But that would mean no place for games for the junior highs and freshmen/JV games.

[SOONER8693]

[QUOTE=andimthomas;231107]I'm up for anything that gets rid of Central Stadium. That place is beyond words. But that would mean no place for games for the junior highs and freshmen/JV games.[/QUOTE
The practice fields at WHS and SHS are being made ready for freshman/JV games.

[andimthomas]

[QUOTE=SOONER8693;231115]

I'm up for anything that gets rid of Central Stadium. That place is beyond words. But that would mean no place for games for the junior highs and freshmen/JV games.[/QUOTE
The practice fields at WHS and SHS are being made ready for freshman/JV games.

Really? Awesome. Do you know if the fields are getting turfed or not? The football team raised enough money to turf our practice field but it was rejected by the district because both Moore and Westmoore would have to have a turfed practice field also.