Published: November 11, 2007 01:29 am            

District’s administrators hoping another community partnership will pass issues

A plan school officials and board members devised six years ago that outlines improvements at every school site in the Enid Public Schools district has progressed, but officials say they will need the public’s help to finish it.

The school district is asking voters for a little more than $11.5 million to meet their goal in a Dec. 11 bond issue.

“It truly is a 10-year plan,” EPS Superintendent Kem Keithly said. “If we get these things passed, we’ll complete the project we started.”

In 2001, Enid schools and patrons began the process to provide local students with renovated buildings. Voters in 2003 approved a comprehensive long-range facility plan for all Enid Public Schools sites.

Voters also endorsed transportation and technology upgrades.

“We have made significant progress so far, thanks to local voters,” said EPS Superinten-dent Kem Keithly. “We hope to continue to partner with the community so that we can reach our goal of updated, improved schools for Enid and its schoolchildren.”





Time to finish what was started



Most important to school officials and school board members is the aspect of completing what they started in 2001 when they commissioned an overall facility study, board members and administrators have said.

Many of those projects have been completed. Still others are in the works but awaiting funding.

School officials hope, if approved Dec. 11, future bond funds will allow them to start on the rest of a list of needs that couldn’t be included in the first round of proposals because there was not enough bonding capacity and because of skyrocketing building and material costs over the last couple of years.





Right thing to do



In 2001, a professional facility assessment company identified nearly $40 million worth of needs in the district’s facilities.

The proposed Dec. 11 bond issue would allow the district to nearly complete those needs near original estimates, despite the rising cost of construction and the addition of a new school, officials say.

Todd Earl, a local businessman and chairman of the campaign for a 2003 bond issue and sales tax measure, said he chose to lead the charge again this time because finishing the entire project was the right thing to do.

“We have completed $17.6 million in facility improvements, and we are in the process of completing another $4.85 million,” Earl said. “The improvements have made a tremendous difference for our students and our community.”





What’s in the past



Through the 2003 bond issue and sales tax election, the district already has completed a number of needed improvements, including a nine-classroom addition and a food court at Enid High School. Also, additions at four elementary schools have been constructed, and other sites across the district have received or will receive extensive renovations.

Technology upgrades also have been made, including new computers for every classroom, computer lab and library across the district. New transportation purchases include replacement of a third of the district’s fleet, in addition to charter buses, activity vans and driver’s education vehicles.

But the 2003 election wasn’t the start of the renovations and improvements. The district’s improvement plan began in 2001 with the passage of a sales tax to renovate and add classroom space to Eisenhower Elementary School.





What’s in the future



After the 2003 measures passed, the district got started on renovations and improvements to a number of other sites. While those projects are ongoing, school officials want to secure funds to finish the original needs and provide for other needs.

Projects completed by the 2003 proceeds include additions and some renovations at Eisenhower, Hayes, Coolidge, McKinley and Monroe elementary schools, Emerson Junior High School, Lincoln Academy and Carver Education Center.

The new measure would address many of the needs remaining at these schools and other projects in the district.