OKCPS to Possibly Close up to 20 Schools

[Midtowner]

If this plan is moving charters like Harding, it doesn't seem like the district would then turn around and approve a different charter that goes against their streamlining plan...

That's exactly what they did with the Harding building though.

[DoctorTaco]

Apparently some of these public meetings have been heated. Citizen comments at the meeting at Douglas lasted until after midnight last night.

[reverend]

Oh yeah, it got heated at NW Classen last night. Looks like my kids at Horace Mann, which is not a low population school, will be moving next year. But it won't be to another OKCPS school. I've been against sending them to a charter school, but now I don't really care. OKCPS will continue to struggle as more people bail from the district.

[Canoe]

Are there any videos of the meetings? Also I wonder why there have not been many updates from the local journalists.... If someone has an updated article please post a link.

[shawnw]

While they do post the board meeting videos, if they are recording the community meetings they have not yet posted them:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcy...lAOvZ_g/videos

[bandnerd]

Are there any videos of the meetings? Also I wonder why there have not been many updates from the local journalists.... If someone has an updated article please post a link.

The meetings have been going to 11 p.m., 12 p.m. and apparently beyond. I don't think any of the reporters stuck it out that long. That would be some long video. KOCO had Facebook live for the first community meeting but the feed was cut not that long into the evening. I think that's why the updates have been brief.

It's mostly just been airing of grievances, where I think the board and supt. wanted to hear what plan people wanted. The parents don't want any schools to close, obviously. That's been the theme. That and asking for answers that haven't come.

[reverend]

I went and spoke at NW Classen, but it was apparent that they didn't care what we had to say and I left after I said what I needed to say. This has not been very transparent. They were using the results of a vague survey to justify these actions. Now a whole section of OKC is going to have moth balled schools. Whole thing is a joke, and the punchline sucks.

[Canoe]

OKCPS Board Meeting to approve the Plan to Greatness is scheduled for March 4th at Northeast Academy starts 530 and ends 730.

[aDark]

OKCPS Board Meeting to approve the Plan to Greatness is scheduled for March 4th at Northeast Academy starts 530 and ends 730.

I know there have been numerous lengthy public meetings about the proposal. I have not been able to attend and I don't know the current public opinion on this plan. Does anyone with more insight into the process have a prediction for whether or not the Plan to Greatness will be approved?

[DoctorTaco]

I know there have been numerous lengthy public meetings about the proposal. I have not been able to attend and I don't know the current public opinion on this plan. Does anyone with more insight into the process have a prediction for whether or not the Plan to Greatness will be approved?

The reception is different in each area: The Northwest side stands to lose the most, and are consequently opposed in large part because of the impact on this or that specific school/neighborhood. The south side stands to win the most in terms of resource allocation (largely making up for decades of inequitable distribution of OKCPS resources) so I think those folks are largely in favor. The Northeast side has no faith in any of it, because they have been so often burned by public education since...forever. So the NE side is largely opposed but the sense I have is that is in response to deeper distrust than to the plan in and of itself. No teaching staff will lose their jobs over this, but many will be reassigned, and as such the teacher's reactions are case specific. I think many understand the underlying need and philosophy but their reaction depends largely upon the situation at their particular school. Some are heartbroken to see their schools shut down, some might be said to be relieved. My sense is that the teacher's unions have been brought inside this process from an early stage.

As to whether or not it passes, all signs are the votes are there at the school board to pass it.

[citywokchinesefood]

I feel for parents that don't want to lose the school that is closer to them. Ultimately, if the school board does what they say they will, I would expect for the overall quality of education to increase. Having multiple teachers per grade, arts education, PE, etc. are all incredibly important. Additionally, we really need to offer a comparable experience/resources at every school in the district, these changes would help make k-12 education in OKC more equitable.

[DoctorTaco]

I feel for parents that don't want to lose the school that is closer to them. Ultimately, if the school board does what they say they will, I would expect for the overall quality of education to increase. Having multiple teachers per grade, arts education, PE, etc. are all incredibly important. Additionally, we really need to offer a comparable experience/resources at every school in the district, these changes would help make k-12 education in OKC more equitable.

Completely agree.

[BridgeBurner]

Looks like they are going with Plan B https://www.okcps.org/PathwayProject

[BridgeBurner]

https://www.koco.com/article/okcps-s...-plan/26450264
"OKLAHOMA CITY —
Oklahoma City Public Schools Superintendent Sean McDaniel on Thursday presented his recommendation for the district’s "Pathway to Greatness" program, which includes closing and re-purposing 15 schools.

McDaniel presented his recommendation of the "final path" forward for the district during the board of education’s special meeting at 3 p.m. Thursday. McDaniel said the plan would save the district about $4 million.

The board will then vote on McDaniel’s recommendation on March 4.

Read a summary of the McDaniel's final "Pathway to Greatway" recommendation here.

Schools on the McDaniel's recommendation list to close and re-purpose include:

Edgemere
Edwards
Gatewood
Green Pastures
Horace Mann
Johnson
Linwood
North Highland
Oakridge
Oklahoma Centennial
Pierce
Putnam Heights
Sequoyah
Telstar
Weshwood
Schools on the recommended list to reconfigure into intermediate/middle schools:

Capitol Hill ES
Classen SAS Mid-high
Greystone (John Marshall MS)
F. D. Moon
Mary Golda Ross
Parmelee (Southeast MS)
Wheeler ES
Schools on the recommended list to reconfigure into high schools:

Douglass Mid-high
John Marshall Mid-High
Classen SAS Mid-High
Reconfigure, Other:

Northeast to House Classen SAS HS
West Nichols Hills to house Belle Isle 5/6
Rancho Village to house Emerson South
Star Spencer Feeder Pattern:

Willow Brook (PK-1)
Spencer (2-3)
Rogers (4-6)
Star Spencer (7-12)"

[Midtowner]

Harding Charter Prep will be moving to Centennial HS. The current Harding property at 32nd and Shartel will be auctioned off. It's a ~30 acre piece of land. I just visited Douglass HS, and I can definitely see the potential for development of the Harding property into apartments. The "structural" issues are way overplayed.

Harding Fine Arts will go to Putnam Heights Elementary.

Horace Mann will become an early childhood center.

[Martin]

Harding Charter Prep will be moving to Centennial HS. The current Harding property at 32nd and Shartel will be auctioned off. It's a ~30 acre piece of land.

maybe i'm misunderstanding you... the harding site is around 30 acres? or are you saying that okcps is auctioning off 30 total acres across multiple parcels? the harding site alone seems more like 5-6 acres to me.

[Midtowner]

maybe i'm misunderstanding you... the harding site is around 30 acres? or are you saying that okcps is auctioning off 30 total acres across multiple parcels? the harding site alone seems more like 5-6 acres to me.

You're probably right. 5-6 acres might be right. It's a pretty big property for that neighborhood. They could have similar success to the Douglass project.

[baralheia]

So I guess I'm a little confused... This plan turns the elementary school in my neighborhood - Parmelee Elementary - into an "Application" middle school. What does that mean? Is it becoming a charter school, or is it a special school for advanced students, or what? The FAQ does a very poor job of explaining this.

[TheSteveHunt]

Imagine if we hadn't passed the now $1/2b Thunder subsidy and this was going on...imagine what they'd say.

[Midtowner]

So I guess I'm a little confused... This plan turns the elementary school in my neighborhood - Parmelee Elementary - into an "Application" middle school. What does that mean? Is it becoming a charter school, or is it a special school for advanced students, or what? The FAQ does a very poor job of explaining this.

Probably a magnet school--a public school under control of OKCPS which would serve students meeting admissions criteria.

[bandnerd]

It's 5 acres. That was covered in our community meeting today.

[bandnerd]

So I guess I'm a little confused... This plan turns the elementary school in my neighborhood - Parmelee Elementary - into an "Application" middle school. What does that mean? Is it becoming a charter school, or is it a special school for advanced students, or what? The FAQ does a very poor job of explaining this.

There are some "application" schools on the south side, like Southeast HS, but I'm not sure what the admission requirements are. But when they say "application" they don't mean charter.

I honestly didn't even know there were other magnet or application schools like Belle Isle Enterprise and Classen SAS. This whole process has taught me a lot about OKCPS and how they function.

[soonerguru]

Is it true they are moving fifth graders into middle schools? If so that's dumb.

[shawnw]

yes

[Bill Robertson]

That’s what I’ve been told by a fifth grade teacher I know. She is not happy.