OKC district chief recommends school closure plan

Map: View the proposed OKC schools reconfiguration

Oklahoma City Public Schools will close 15 schools and reconfigure or relocate 17 others under an ambitious proposal Superintendent Sean McDaniel told the school board Thursday is needed to equitably serve the district's 45,000 students.

About 200 people attended the late-afternoon meeting at Northeast Academy, which was rescheduled because of a wintry weather forecast.

McDaniel considered three data-driven plans for closure and consolidation. He recommended one to the board that would shutter Linwood Elementary and Telstar Elementary in Spencer in addition to 13 elementary schools and one mid-high previously identified for closure.

Board members asked questions but there was no public comment.

McDaniel has pledged to "reinvent" the district by aligning facilities and resources with instructional needs. To do that, the district will find other uses for closed buildings, convert six elementary schools into middle schools, relocate four charter schools and disband the district's mid-high model. Greystone Elementary would be known as John Marshall Middle School and feed into John Marshall High School, while Parmelee Elementary would be known as Southeast Middle School and feed into Southeast High, an application school.

"We want all of our kids to have similar opportunities," he said. "We want equity to exist at much higher levels across our district of 45,000 kids. We want their future to be bright, and we believe that Pathway to Greatness is a step toward that. We believe the trajectories of our students’ lives will change because of this."

Of the 57 schools that will be affected by the plan, McDaniel said 45 are "school ready as we sit here." Twelve others will need some modifications, he said.

Linwood parent Katie Friddle said her 7-year-old daughter will attend Kaiser Elementary in the coming school year, adding that her daughter's friends will be divided between four schools.

"We're very sad. We really like this school," she said. "I think I would consider it a pretty successful school, so we're disappointed that it's not staying open."

The board will meet March 4 to vote on the plan, which includes changes to school boundaries, grade structures and feeder patterns. If approved, thousands of students will attend a different school beginning Aug. 12, the first day of the 2019-20 school year.

"I don’t have time to wait," board member Gloria Torres told McDaniel. "We we have been in this planning process before you got here. I'm very thankful that you came in here with your administrative team to deliver what you believe to be the best academic (plan) for this district."

Board member Jace Kirk told McDaniel, "It has been decades that something has needed to happen."

"I feel proud that you're bringing this recommendation to us to move forward with this process," he said.

Public input from community meetings and surveys prompted McDaniel and his team to convert F.D. Moon Academy into a middle school instead of Martin Luther King Elementary. Moon, 1901 NE 13, is a former middle school serving elementary grades that shares space with KIPP Reach Academy. KIPP, a charter for middle school grades, would occupy North Highland Elementary, which would be shuttered. Three other charters would move into buildings designated for closure. These include including Harding Charter Preparatory High School (Centennial Mid-High) and Harding Fine Arts (Putnam Heights Elementary). The Harding schools occupy the same building at 3333 N Shartel, which McDaniel has said is in need of costly repairs and not suitable for students.

Instead of Spencer Elementary, the district decided to close Telstar Elementary. In that scenario, students from Telstar and Green Pastures (also closing) would attend Willow Brook for prekindergarten through first grade, Spencer for grades two and three, Rogers for grades four through six, and Star Spencer High School for grades seven through 12.

Additionally, the district reconsidered a move to strip high-transfer elementary schools of transfer seats in order to accommodate students who would be rezoned. McDaniel told The Oklahoman the goal is to "create balance and opportunity but replicate things that showed success." He said the district will maintain "some" transfer seats.

The changes are expected to save the district about $4 million annually in operational and staffing costs, money McDaniel said will be reinvested as "trade-ups" that include full-time art, music and physical education teachers in every elementary school, fully functional science labs in every middle school and high school, smaller class sizes and more staff to support teachers. More nurses and counselors would also be added along with dedicated science, math, tech and art programs, McDaniel said.

"These add significant value for our children," he said.

Northeast, 3100 N Kelley, is slated to become the new home for high school students who attend Classen School of Advanced Studies, a controversial move McDaniel said is needed to expand access to successful application programs. Middle school students attending Northeast would attend Classen SAS, 1901 N Ellison, if they choose. Application programs at Belle Isle Application Middle School and Southeast High School would also be expanded to give younger students access. McDaniel said Northeast would be known as Classen SAS High School in the coming school year.

The district will spend $1.3 million to reduce class size ratios for kindergarten through sixth grade, $707,000 to increase the number of school nurses, $732,000 to reduce the elementary counselor ratios, $297,000 to increase the number of assistant principals and administrative interns, and $967,000 on other enhancements, including professional, instructional supplies and transportation, according to projections contained in McDaniel's presentation.

McDaniel said it will cost the district approximately $11 million to implement the plan, including $4.2 million for practice fields, uniforms, equipment and middle school locker rooms, $2.5 million to move staff, furniture and equipment, and nearly $3 million for improvements that include "fine arts remodels and other school remodels." Building and bond funds will cover the majority of expenses, the district reported.

Of the 15 buildings that would be closed, McDaniel said he has secured district and community uses for 13, including Edwards and Putnam Heights elementary schools and Centennial Mid-High. Seeworth Academy, a charter for at-risk students, would occupy Edwards. Harding Charter Prep would move into Centennial and Harding Fine Arts would move into Putnam Heights, according to the district. Four other elementary schools slated for closure — Horace Mann, Johnson, Pierce and Telstar — would house early childhood centers while Oakridge Elementary would become a health and community center. Gatewood Elementary would house Oklahoma Children's Theatre and Oklahoma Autism Center Foundation.

McDaniel said verbal agreements are in place but no signed contracts.

The district is currently spending about $2 million annually to maintain underutilized schools, money McDaniel said "literally goes out the window" if the district continues "doing business as usual." Instead of operating at 60 percent of capacity, McDaniel said schools would operate at 84 percent of capacity under the plan.

McDaniel, meanwhile, identified four elementary schools — Britton, King, Parks and Rockwood — as high-need schools that would receive teams of experienced leaders to direct "transformation."

Special education students who attend Johnson would move to Ridgeview Elementary, while disabled students who attend Rancho Village Elementary will move to Van Buren Elementary. Teachers and paraprofessional from both schools will have the opportunity to move with their students, McDaniel said.

As for transportation, McDaniel said students who live beyond a 1.5 mile walk from their assigned school will have access to bus transportation. The district is considering new bus routes and expects to add 10 routes in support of the plan. The district estimates adding 1.5 miles to the current average route for elementary students; two miles for middle school students, and three miles for high school students.

The district will introduce an online school locator in mid-March and school tours will be May 4, to "ensure a smooth transition." Deadlines for application schools and transfers have been extended. McDaniel also touched on timelines that affect teachers and site administrators. The district will announce new assignments for principals on March 5.

Information sessions about the final plan begin Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Capitol Hill High. The presentation will be in Spanish. The meetings continue Tuesday at U.S. Grant High School and Wednesday at Northwest Classen High School. Both start at 4:30 p.m. for district staff and 6:30 p.m. for community members.

For more information, go to www.okcps.org/PathwayProject.

BY THE NUMBERS

The Oklahoma City School Board on March 4 is expected to approve a plan to "reinvent" the state's largest school district by aligning facilities and resources with instructional needs.

• 15: Number of schools that would close

• 17: Number of schools that would be reconfigured

• 66: Percentage of seats currently filled by district students

• 84: Percentage of seats that would be filled by students if plan approved

• 11.1: Cost in millions to implement plan

• 4: Savings in millions in operational, staffing costs

• 3: Miles added to average bus route for high school students

Source: Oklahoma City Public Schools

Map: View the proposed OKC schools reconfiguration