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School Board Member Speaks Out Against School Bond

Voters are at the polls today deciding whether or not Tulsa Public Schools will receive $414 million for its proposed bond package. 

 

Pastor Jennettie Marshall serves on the Board of Education for District 3 in North Tulsa. 

 

 

“I don’t support the bond because I think at this point there is such a lack of transparency. I have watched and heard people from the community asking questions - I’ve asked questions - and have not received answers or the answers have been unsatisfactory,” said Marshall.

 

Specifically, Marshall spoke about the closure of Jones Elementary. In 2015, voters approved around $2 million to add an extension to Jones Elementary. The work never got done and the school closed in 2020 due to overcrowding. 

 

“When I questioned why the wing had not been added as it had been presented, what I was told is that the building and the property the building sat on would not handle an add-on,” said Marshall. 

 

Other schools closed unexpectedly, too.

 

“The same thing happened to Greeley. Greeley got $1.6 million, and Greeley was closed, and that $1.6 million was given to the charter school,” said Marshall.

 

Greeley Elementary School closed in 2018.

 

Marshall also said TPS doesn’t have high enough standards in both traditional and exceptional education, pointing to lagging test scores.

 

According to a 2019-2020 TPS scorecard, 26% of students in all grades are proficient in reading and math. The goal was 28%.