The Tulsa Public Schools board approved Tuesday night four elementary school closures recommended by Superintendent Deborah Gist to help close the district’s $20 million budget gap.
Schools were voted on individually, and no vote was unanimous. Board Member Jennettie Marshall voted against all four closures, which will save TPS an estimated $2 million to $3 million a year.
"Is that enough to crush the dreams and the aspirations of community? Those are questions that each one of us sitting here, we have to ask," Marshall said.
The nearly five-hour board meeting last night was contentious at times, with some outbursts from the dozens in attendance.
Melissa Remington signed up to speak against Jones Elementary School's closure. She said at community meetings, school closings weren’t offered as an option.
"We would not have voted for that. Budget issues are longstanding, but we keep putting bandaids on these issues. School closures should be long goals, not short goals," Remington said.
Gist has said closing schools was consistently among the top options chosen at community budget meetings, but residents were wary of their neighborhood school being closed.
The closings mean the deaf education program at Wright Elementary School will be moved to Patrick Henry starting in the 2020–2021 school year. Parents of deaf students are concerned, but lead deaf education teacher Sarah Brewer said moving presents an opportunity.
"We've become complacent at Wright, and this gives us a chance to get out of the way things have always been done. Try new ways. Improve the program. Make it a bigger and better program, a program that everybody from surrounding areas would like to come to," Brewer said.
The board also approved a one-student increase to average elementary class sizes. Elementary classes will be allowed to have up to 24 students, though the district says many will have fewer than that. That change will save roughly $3 million, according to TPS officials.
Recommendations about administrative and staffing changes at the district office were not part of the board's agenda. Those plans account for the rest of the district's $20 million budget shortfall.
Gist says declining enrollment and state funding are to blame for the current budget situation at TPS.
