Oklahoma City Public School Board members approved a $180 million dollar bond proposal at a special board meeting on Tuesday. The bond will not increase taxes, and instead extends a bond that is set to expire.
Superintendent Aurora Lora said Oklahoma City Public Schools has dire basic needs throughout the district, and the new bond will address transportation, technology, and building maintenance issues.
“Our air conditioning deficiencies in schools have been well documented the past few weeks; an aging bus fleet continues to be a major financial burden, and most of our students don’t have modern classroom technology," she said.
District officials say the average school bus is 10.5 years old and has 190,000 miles on it. In the bond proposal about $19 million would go the purchasing of 100 buses over five years. The district would also purchase 10 activity buses, 10 mini buses, and 10 7-passenger vehicles.
About 54.5 million would be spent on upgrading technology within the district. That includes spending $34.5 million on installing and upgrading network infrastructure to support the increasing connectivity demand in all schools.
Other technological purchases include:
- $2.9 million dollars for computers for student assessment stations
- $7 million for technology devices for staff
- $2.9 million for instructional and classroom technology including 5,460 iPads
- $3.9 million for 3,000 computers
Superintendent Lora said no new buildings will be constructed with the bond funds, but about $106 million will be spent on maintaining and preserving current structures, including:
- $30 million will be spent on HVAC
- $6 million on plumbing work
- $6 million on electrical work
- $25 million on roof maintenance
- $27.3 million on athletic facilities, athletic equipment, uniforms, sidewalks, parking lots and fences
- $4 million on safety vestibules
- $4 million on fine arts
- $4 million on playground equipment and materials and elementary schools
Voters can approve or deny the bond by voting in the November 8 general election.
