The Downtown Schools- Emerson Alternative Middle and the Future Elementary

[Urban Pioneer]

George- Here is What I posted on Steve's blog...

I think that it is the “scope of work” that is relevant to presenting now. If The Small Group is directed towards design services for Option A, then it starts from the beginning with that being the understood goal by the professionals.

However, if the scope is directed towards Option B or some other broader context, this would be the moments to establish that goals with the planners, architects, and engineers.

The May 17th board meeting is probably worth attending as well just “to back it up.”


I do think that it is better to go in from the absolute very beginning with a understanding of where the architects should focus their energy and preparation. And the board should fully understand where the community stands before any commitments are made.

[Spartan]

Is there anyway to oppose The Small Group getting the contract for the school?

[ljbab728]

The meeting on this issue is today. Time to get rid of these awful "temporary" buildings downtown.

Urgent News: Emerson School | OKC Central

That seems to be one of the focus areas for Maps for Kids. I have driven by quite a few of the schools affected where the old temporary buildings have been removed or replaced.

[Urban Pioneer]

Thanks to all who came out last night. There is more about this on Steve's blog. It looks like the board is headed in the right direction.

[Urban Pioneer]

From an e-mail I just received:

Recap of last night and news for the near future!!!

The Small Group will be the architectural firm that does our design plans. There will be community meetings that will serve as opportunities to voice our needs for these students.

We are also working with the OKCPS Foundation to hold community meetings with Possibilities© to facilitate a plan for our needs at Emerson. This is being worked on for some time in May so I will keep you posted!!

Our next challenge is ensuring the school board allocates ALL available monies to Emerson!! It is imperative that the district use all of the alternative school tax money they have collected since 2001 for Emerson’s MAPS renovation!!

May 17th will be the date of the next school board meeting where they will allocate this money to Emerson’s MAPS project! Please mark your calendar now and plan to attend! Please think about speaking on our behalf they need to continue to hear what Emerson’s needs are and how to better our community and city through this renovation.

We need to continue contacting our school board with calls, emails, and letters-they are the deciding board for the money the district has from the alternative school tax money that is necessary for our having Option 2 at the very least! I have included their contact information at the bottom. Emerson’s board representative Steve Shafer. However, we receive students from all over the district so each board member has students who are attending Emerson! The last contact on the list is Ron Millican who was sworn in last night!

Again thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support!! Please don’t hesitate to contact me with comments, questions, etc.!


Randa Pirrong
National Board Certified
Family and Consumer Science
Emerson High School
Oklahoma City Public Schools


School Board Contact Information:

Oklahoma City Public Schools
900 N. Klein,
Oklahoma City, OK 73106

Angela Z. Monson
Board Chairperson
Contact Information:
720 NE 42 Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
405.271.2390

Lyn Watson
District 1 Representative
2917 Prairie Rose Court
Oklahoma City, OK 73120
Contact Information:
405.209.7877
lynwatson@cox.net

Gail Vines
District 2 Representative
Contact Information:
1128 NW 55th
Oklahoma City, OK 73118
405.843.1527

Phil Horning
District 3 Representative
Contact Information:
3201 NW 18
Oklahoma City, OK 73107
405.946.3778

Steve Shafer-Emerson’s Rep
District 4 Representative
Contact Information:
10914 Hefner Point Drive, Suite 304
Oklahoma City, OK 72120
405.848.6999

Ruth Veales
District 5 Representative
Contact Information:
405.732.8122


David Castillo
District 6 Representative
Contact Information:
1126 SW 65
Oklahoma City, OK 73139
405.361.4518

Ron Millican
District 7 Representative
Contact Information:
2308 SW 81
OKC, OK 73159
685-7069

[soonerguru]

Wow!!!!! That is a lot of exclamation points!!!! I wonder if this is an educator!!!!!

Still, I love the enthusiasm.

[Larry OKC]

Is there anyway to oppose The Small Group getting the contract for the school?

Spartan, may have missed something here, but what is the opposition to The Small Group?

[Urban Pioneer]

Yeah? I don't think there is a problem with the Small Group that I know of. It's just that the entire facility needs to be thoroughly evaluated and properly designed around the needs of the school.

It seems that this has started with "cookie cutter" type options for a "typical" high school whereas this is an Alternative Education for young adults and health facilities for un-wed mothers.

[metro]

Don't argue with Spartan, he is our resident critic of OKC progress.. I'm sure he'll enlighten us from his post up North.

[Steve]

FYI - it's the Small Group that did the Bricktown Police Substation

[Larry OKC]

Steve, were there problems with their work on that (am unfamiliar with it)?

[Urban Pioneer]

Here is an article that was on the front page top of the Oklahoma yesterday.

NewsOK

[Larry OKC]

St. Anthony Hospital President Joe Hodges said Emerson’s renovation is an important piece of the Midtown redevelopment effort that the hospital has poured $200 million into since 2003.

$200M (private money) has been poured into this school in the past 7 years (same length as the MAPS for Kids tax) and it still looks like this? That is almost half of the entire sales tax money of M4K that has built a few brand new high schools and promised at least $1M in renovations to the other 70 or so schools (not to mention the 30% of the tax that has gone to surrounding school districts)!

The two portable classrooms (trailers) were damaged in the bombing? That was 15 years ago. Weren't there federal disaster relief funds that supposedly took care of just this sort of thing?

Where has all of the money gone?

The picture caption says that the student is standing in a classroom. Really? Where are the desks, blackboard etc. It may have been a classroom at one point but it is now a storage room.

[CuatrodeMayo]

$200m has been invested in the hospital campus, not the school.

I can understand the confusion though, that is a poorly structured sentence.

[Larry OKC]

$200m has been invested in the hospital campus, not the school.

I can understand the confusion though, that is a poorly structured sentence.

Thanks, that makes a lot more sense. Still wonder why those portable buildings weren't repaired/replaced to the bombing damage. Undoubtedly there were federal funds for just that sort of thing.

[OKC@heart]

Thanks, that makes a lot more sense. Still wonder why those portable buildings weren't repaired/replaced to the bombing damage. Undoubtedly there were federal funds for just that sort of thing.

This is just a guess but I would imagine like anything else that the federal funds are based on the value of the buildings damaged and that it was likely prorated based on the previous condition of the building and so the money was probably not sufficient to replace the facilities with new ones and so they used the money to patch up and then apply elsewhere to support the needs of the program.

Again just a guess on my part...

[urbanity]

Planned downtown elementary school has yet to materialize from MAPS for Kids | OKG Scene.com

[metro]

$200M (private money) has been poured into this school in the past 7 years (same length as the MAPS for Kids tax) and it still looks like this? That is almost half of the entire sales tax money of M4K that has built a few brand new high schools and promised at least $1M in renovations to the other 70 or so schools (not to mention the 30% of the tax that has gone to surrounding school districts)!

The two portable classrooms (trailers) were damaged in the bombing? That was 15 years ago. Weren't there federal disaster relief funds that supposedly took care of just this sort of thing?

Where has all of the money gone?

The picture caption says that the student is standing in a classroom. Really? Where are the desks, blackboard etc. It may have been a classroom at one point but it is now a storage room.

Poorly written sentence, but common sense would tell you that's $200million invested in the hospital. Yes, the school, especially the portable buildings are in HORRIBLE condition, even for old OKC Public School standards. I encourage you to drive by the school sometime and check it out for yourself and see the need for serious renovations. This school is down the street from me and is a major eyesore. It's embarrasing they'd let something get this bad downtown, even if it was abandoned, let alone a school for pregnant teens and teen moms and dads.

$200m has been invested in the hospital campus, not the school.

I can understand the confusion though, that is a poorly structured sentence.

Exactly.

[Larry OKC]

Honestly I figured it was a typo as the numbers didn't make any since (when you look at all that has been done with M4K overall). Not suggesting that the school isn't in need of serious help. Am in complete agreement.