MAPS for Kids

[TStheThird]

How are the projects going with MAPS for Kids? What is the overall objective for this project? What kind of effects do you think it will have on OKC?

I would think that it will definantly make the city more attractive to relocating business. Discuss...

[okcpulse]

Progress continues on MAPS for Kids, with several project bids being awarded recently. These projects include the new campus for Douglas High School in northeast Oklahoma City, Grant High School's new building and a new location and campus for John Marshall High School at NW 122nd and Lake Hefner Parkway. Meanwhile, design work continues on several junior high schools as well as a number of elementary schools. Permanent school closures on the south side of the city and east side of the city are complete.

In addition, MAPS for Kids grant funds have been issued for the following districts that educate Oklahoma City students: PC (Putnam City) Schools (with the largest share); Western Heights Schools; Millwood Schools and Crooked Oak Schools.

Upon completion, MAPS for Kids will have an adverse positive effect on Oklahoma City's inner city areas. That includes revived neighborhoods and a revived economy, which slowly continues to progress today.

[Patrick]

I guess the overall objective of MAPs for Kids is to completely overhaul all of the schools in the district. Every school will be completely renovated, and some completely replaced. okcpulse mentioned some of that info. in his post.

[mranderson]

What ticks me off, however, is the alumni of John Marshall got to have public forums to help decide the design of the school. As an alumnus of US Grant, I never heard word one about any public forum or any by invitation only to the alumni.

Hey. In the 70's we were just as high brow as Marshall. I do not understand why we were not able to give input. It is not fair.

[Patrick]

I guess it's the old discrimination against the south side of town. That's unfortunate that the public didn't get to influence the design of the school that much. I have a feeling, with John Marshall being in the location it will be in, it will become the flagship high school for the district. Afterall, it will be in the wealthiest area of any of the high schools.
I still kind of question the OKC Schools for building there though, because that area is actually PC territory. They're going to busing kids out of OKC territory and to the school in PC territory. I know the school won't draw any PC kids, but it's still weird them building it there.

I don't believe Douglas had a public forum though either!

Maybe the alumni of Douglas and US Grant didn't request it, because the reason John Marshall got a public forum is two fold: 1. Alumni pushed for it, 2. There was controversy about where the school would be located.

With US Grant and Douglas, they're staying in the same locations.

[mranderson]

I would have liked Grant to be located farther south, however, I could not find a field large enough to support the school that did not overlap Grant and Southeast.

No matter what, I still feel conned. I wanted to suggest a college like campus like you see in a lot of schools in California. Maybe even a design reflecting Oklahoma's heritage (the one we want to promote).

[Patrick]

I think the difference may be that the school district had plenty of land there at Grant to support expansion. They are going to buy up some houses during expansion, but the land will be there.

John Marshall is really on a small lot. It had to be moved. And there was no chance of purchasing all of the homes around John Marshall. There was plenty of land either at 122nd and Penn or at 122nd and Portland, so it made since to move the school.

I like high schools being set up in the form of campuses, but I don't think MAPS For Kids ever supported that for any of the high schools (as it would be more costly), and the land just wasn't there for any of the schools.

By the way, have you seen pictures of the new US Grant High School? I haven't seen any yet. I've seen pics of the new Douglas and it looks pretty nice!