Tulsa Public Schools is seeking voter approval of a $414 million, four-part bond issue. The proposal goes on the June 8 ballot.
Tulsa Public Schools will be asking voters this summer to approve a multi-year bond proposal.
At Monday night’s board of education meeting, the board voted unanimously to send a five-year, $414 million bond package to voters on June 8.
As approved by the board, the bond package contains four propositions.
Proposition 1 would allocate $166,755,000 for the district’s buildings, including accessibility upgrades, HVAC repairs, new fences, kitchen improvements and replacing and repairing school roofs.
Proposition 2 calls for $90,695,000 for technology, including hardware, digital marquees at campuses around the district, software upgrades and subscriptions.
Proposition 3 calls for $17,295,000 for transportation. Along with replacing some school buses and their components, it would also allow for the purchase of additional smaller vehicles that would be available to clubs, classes and teams to use rather than a full-size school bus.
Proposition 4 calls for $139,255,000 for teaching materials and programs, including professional development opportunities for teachers, marching band uniforms, library books, curricula and textbooks.
“Bonds have become a critical source for funding the day-to-day maintenance and operation to help our district create great teaching and learning experiences for every student,” board President Stacey Woolley said. “Bonds provide safe and state-of-the-art classrooms, libraries, and stadiums, high-quality classroom technology, and importantly this year, support investments in building ventilation and other COVID-19 safety enhancements.”
The board also unanimously approved an emergency resolution under the state’s Competitive Bidding Act to solicit proposals immediately to address water, sprinkler and sewer systems damaged during Winter Storm Uri, which brought sustained sub-zero temperatures to the area in February.
Water lines were damaged at 10 campuses, including the stadiums at Booker T. Washington, Rogers and East Central high schools and the arena at Edison High School. Sewer lines were damaged at an additional 13 sites, including Cooper, Lanier, MacArthur, McClure, Mitchell and Patrick Henry elementary schools.
Superintendent Deborah Gist said the district is actively looking for funding sources to help cover the repair costs, which are projected to not exceed a combined $425,000 among all the projects.
“Our team is actively seeking out insurance support, FEMA reimbursements and things like that,” she said. “We are seeking out all relevant funding sources.”
In other business, citing neighborhood feedback, the board tabled a recommendation from an ad hoc committee to change the name of Dual Language Academy to Felicitas Mendez International School at Ralph J. Bunche starting with the 2021-2022 school year. The name change was sought out by the school’s community in part to help distinguish the magnet school from the increasing number of dual language instruction sites around the district.
The north Tulsa school is located at the former site of Ralph J. Bunche Elementary School, hence the proposal to name the campus for two people. Bunche was closed in 2011 as part of Project Schoolhouse, with Dual Language Academy relocating to the building in 2015.
The Bunche name was moved to an early childhood development center on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard that was consolidated with Gilcrease Elementary in 2019 to form John Hope Franklin Elementary.
Board member Jennettie Marshall, whose district includes the campus, said she had received an influx of communiques from concerned constituents who were unaware the building was no longer officially designated as Bunche.
“At some point we’ve missed communicating with the public in its entirety,” she said. “They just want an opportunity for their voices to be heard. I don’t know whether responses to surveys, inquiries took into consideration the ethnicities of respondents to see if we had adequate representation.
“We had Dunbar closed. At one point, Carver was closed. At some point, it feels like an attack on the legacy of the community. Taking the time to hear those voices will keep those relationships intact.”
Tulsa Public Schools distance learning: Governor, superintendent debate issue publicly
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Throwback Tulsa: Voters pass Vision Tulsa five years ago
Throwback Tulsa: Voters pass Vision Tulsa five years ago today
Breaking down Vision Tulsa
On April 5, 2016, voters in Tulsa faced three propositions for the Vision Tulsa package, with the choice to approve all, some or none of the sales tax proposals.
The total package was a 0.55 percent sales tax that would be renewed from Vision 2025’s expiring 0.6 percent tax.
Where the money will go?
If all three proposals pass, Vision 2025 taxes were estimated to generate approximately $815 million in revenue during the first 15 years.
How that money will be divided:
Transportation: $102 million
Economic development: $511 million
Public safety: $202 million
Proposition 1: Public safety
Type of tax: Permanent.
How much it will cost: Starts at 0.16 percent Jan. 1, 2017 increasing permanently to 0.26 percent July 1, 2021.
How much it will bring in: $202 million estimated the first 15 years of the tax, about $13.5 million per year.
It is intended to add about 160 new police officers, 65 new firefighters and 16 additional 911 personnel.
Proposition 2: Transportation
Type of tax: Permanent.
How much it will cost: 0.085 percent beginning Jan. 1, 2017
How much it will bring in: $102 million estimated over 15 years. estimated in the first 15 years of the tax, about $6.8 million per year.
Forty-four percent would go toward street maintenance and 56 percent would go toward transit operations and capital.
Transit highlights:
• Bus Rapid Transit lines on Route 66 (11th Street) and Peoria Avenue
• $14 million toward beginning plans for a downtown transit hub
• Expanding bus service to Sunday
The streets portion would go toward adding street maintenance crews to improve pothole repairs, striping and other maintenance needs. it would also add streetlight technicians to synchronize lights, affecting traffic movement city wide.
Proposition 3: Economic development
Type of tax: Temporary, 15-year tax.
How much will it cost: 0.305 percent beginning Jan. 1, 2017. It would then increase to 0.805 percent July 1, 2021, for four years before returning to 0.305 percent July 1, 2025, until it expires Dec. 31, 2031.
How much it will bring in: How much it will bring in: $511 million estimated over 15 years.
The proposition funds a list of projects agreed upon by city officials. Highlights include:
• $127.2 million for two low-water dams on the Arkansas River — one at Zink Lake and the other in the south Tulsa/Jenks area, as well as Arkansas River corridor infrastructure
• $65 million for Extensive remodeling and expansion of the Gilcrease Museum
• $55 million for Renovations to the Cox Business Center including renovating and repurposing the old arena
• $27.3 million to upgrade city-owned infrastructure at Tulsa International Airport
• $25 million for improvements at the Tulsa Zoo, including an expanded front entry
Will Tulsa's sales tax change if it passes?
8.517 percent total sales tax in Tulsa before vote on Vision proposals.
8.517 percent total sales tax in Tulsa if all parts of Vision pass, including county’s part.
Vision Tulsa
Supporters of the Vision tax package, including Tulsa City Councilors Jeannie Cue (right), G.T. Bynum, Connie Dodson, Anna America, and Mike Neal (left) from the Tulsa Regional Chamber celebrate at an election watch party for the Vision tax package at the Bond event center in Tulsa, Okla., on Tuesday, April 5, 2016. Tulsa World File
Vision Tulsa
The Cox Business Center in downtown Tulsa hosted a project launch to mark the beginning of the venue's $55 million Vision Tulsa funded renovation and reconfiguration on July 9, 2018. Manager Kerry Painter, Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum, SMG Tulsa General Manager Jeff Nickler and Cox Communications Vice President and Market Leader Roger Ramseyer, pose with ceremonial sledgehammers at the event. JOHN CLANTON/Tulsa World File
Vision Tulsa
New sidewalks and ramps in front of Roy Clark Elementary school that is part of the Vision Tulsa Public Schools Safety First Initiative in Tulsa, OK, Aug. 7, 2018. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World File
Vision Tulsa
American Airlines employees listen to speakers during a ribbon cutting for the Vision Tulsa Airport Infrastructure Project in hangar 2-D at the American Airlines Tulsa Maintenance Base Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019. The hangar was enlarged to allow for work on larger airplanes. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Vision Tulsa
Motorists on Mingo Rd. a large apartment complex at 74th Street Wednesday, July 31, 2019. Mingo Rd. will be widened from 2 lanes to 5 lanes as part of a Vision Tulsa project. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Vision Tulsa
Spring break visitors enter the Tulsa Zoo in Tulsa, Okla., taken on March 17, 2016, the main entrance and elephant enclosure are earmarked for improvements in the Vision package. Tulsa World File
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