By Bailey Coyle, Fox23 News
McALESTER, Okla. — McAlester Public Schools leaders are asking voters to approve a $4.7 million bond aimed at expanding hands-on STEM education and improving student safety with the construction of a new STEM and safe room facility on the high school campus.
The district’s Board of Education unanimously voted to relaunch its “Investing in Our Herd” bond initiative after a larger proposal failed last year.
This scaled-down version is significantly smaller than the previous package. A $41 million bond proposal in September received about 30% voter support. The new proposal costs roughly one-tenth of that amount and focuses strictly on classroom space and safety improvements.
If approved, the $4.7 million project would be funded over five years and would result in about a 9% increase in property taxes, according to district officials. The district has also released an “Impact to the Taxpayer” document outlining the expected cost for property owners.
Superintendent Dr. Robert Steeber said the district intentionally narrowed the focus after reviewing voter feedback.
“We listened to the data and the feedback,” Steeber said. “Anything classroom-wise, anything educational and safety, we felt like was a very good next step.”
What the bond would build
The proposed facility would house modern STEM classrooms and dedicated space for McAlester’s growing aerospace, drone and robotics programs, along with hands-on learning labs designed to prepare students for high-demand careers in science, technology, engineering and math.
The building would also serve as a fully compliant storm shelter for students and staff.
“Our vision for McAlester Public Schools is rooted in preparing students for the future while ensuring their safety each day,” Steeber said. “This bond reflects our community’s continued commitment to empowering our herd with world-class learning environments.”
Plans include several classrooms that will double as a safe room and a separate hangar-style space with higher ceilings for aeronautics projects, including the district’s student airplane build.
“The classrooms will definitely be the safe room part of the building,” Steeber explained. “The hangar is different because of the need for higher ceilings and access.”
Bringing programs back to campus
Right now, some STEM and aeronautics classes are held off-site, requiring students to shuttle back and forth during the school day.
Steeber said that setup costs students valuable instructional time and puts added strain on the district’s transportation department.
“Our kids lose a lot of instructional time and opportunity because of the shuttles,” he said. “This is going to be right directly on the high school campus — much quicker and easier access for our kids.”
District leaders say consolidating those programs on campus would improve efficiency and allow the district to grow additional career and technical education opportunities.
Focus on safety
Safety is another key part of the project. The safe room would protect all high school students and staff during severe weather — something Steeber said is essential in Oklahoma.
“If you’ve lived in Oklahoma long, you understand the weather is kind of snarly at times, and we want to be able to protect our biggest commodity, which is our children,” he said.
State law also requires safe rooms to be included in new school construction if existing buildings lack adequate shelter space.
Encouraging voter turnout
Steeber acknowledged that asking voters to approve a tax increase is never easy, especially with bond elections requiring a supermajority to pass.
“No one wants to pay more in taxes. I’m one of those people that doesn’t want to pay more in taxes,” he said. “But from the standpoint of an administrator in a public school, I believe it’s my duty to advocate for kids, and sometimes that does cost money.”
Still, he encouraged residents to make their voices heard.
“All I would say is, if you’re a registered voter, go vote your conscience.”
If the bond does not pass, the district says its STEM programs will continue, though likely less efficiently and with higher transportation costs.
“We’ll figure it out,” Steeber said. “The program’s not going away. We’ll go back to the drawing board.”
Voters will head to the polls Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026.
More information about the Investing in Our Herd bond initiative and taxpayer impacts is available on the district’s website.
