By Bailey Coyle, FOX23.com News Staff
SAND SPRINGS, Okla. — Students are heading back to class in Sand Springs with several changes waiting for them this school year, including a brand-new middle school, expanded use of artificial intelligence in the classroom and plans for a new drug and contraband detection program.
Sand Springs Public Schools Superintendent Sherry Drukee said the first day of school is always filled with excitement as students return to familiar hallways and new routines.
“We had schedule pickup at Charles Page Monday, and some seniors and freshmen. They rolled out the red carpet for the freshmen coming in,” Drukee said. “It was just fun seeing the halls come alive and lots of commotion and excitement. That’s what’s fun about the first day.”
New Middle School Opens
One of the biggest changes this year is the opening of the district’s new middle school.
The previous middle school building, which was about 70 years old, has been demolished. Drukee said the older building had a number of facility issues, including significant plumbing problems caused by tree roots.
Now, students will move into a new two-story building designed specifically for middle school students.
“We’re going to be ready to go,” Drukee said. “Just that new space, that new freshness of new branding, new color.”
The building will separate grade levels, with eighth graders on the upper floor and seventh graders on the lower floor, while still allowing students to share other classes and spaces.
Drukee said the new building also includes a courtyard and provides students with a facility they can take pride in.
“I think the new features is just the presence from the outside,” she said. “Something about seeing the community support financially, really, of making sure kids have something to be proud of. That’s what excites me.”
New Safety Program Under Consideration
The district is also considering bringing drug-and-contraband-detection dogs into schools.
Drukee said the program still needs approval from the Sand Springs school board in September, but the district has been discussing the idea for several years.
The program would be designed as a preventative measure, with trained dogs and handlers making random visits to school facilities.
“They don’t check students, specifically people. They’re checking spaces,” Drukee said.
That could include parking lots, vehicles, bathrooms and other areas of school buildings.
Drukee said the district would not know in advance when the dogs would arrive, aside from certain blackout dates when the program could not operate.
The dogs would be trained to detect contraband, and Drukee said the district’s goal is to help maintain a safe, drug-free and weapon-free learning environment.
“We want to provide a safe space for kids to learn, protecting our learning environment,” she said.
The program would also include opportunities for younger students to interact with the dogs and learn about how working dogs are trained.
Drukee said the dogs are retriever-type breeds and are non-aggressive.
She said the district believes the program is appropriate as students face changing challenges, including the increased prevalence of THC vaping.
“Things change over time with what students have exposure to,” Drukee said. “And so we just felt like it was time.”
More Recess Time at Elementary Schools
Sand Springs is also adjusting its elementary school schedules because of Oklahoma’s new recess requirements.
Drukee said five elementary schools will add about 10 minutes of recess time at the beginning of the school day.
Families whose children attend those schools will need to account for the earlier arrival time.
Lunch and breakfast schedules will remain unchanged.
The district is also continuing its cellphone restrictions, which Drukee said are now permanent under state law.
AI Use Focused on Teachers and Learning
Artificial intelligence is another area Sand Springs is working to incorporate into classrooms.
Shawn Beard, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning, said the district has spent several years evaluating AI tools and paying close attention to how companies handle student data.
The district has focused on tools that comply with student privacy requirements and do not share student data with third parties.
Beard said the district has been working with teachers on using AI primarily as a tool to enhance instruction rather than replacing teachers or allowing students to simply generate assignments.
“We want to make sure that there’s true collaboration on that going on and true learning,” Beard said.
Teachers may use AI to help create lessons or integrate AI into classroom tools, but students are still expected to work directly with teachers and classmates.
Beard said teachers are also being encouraged to focus more on the process of learning rather than simply grading a finished digital product.
That could mean asking students to explain how they reached an answer, what they learned and how AI was used during the process.
“We have to prepare them for how to use it effectively and be good stewards of the tools that they’re using as opposed to using it to get around the objective,” Beard said.
District Scaling Back Technology Use
While Sand Springs is embracing AI, the district is also taking a closer look at how much technology students use during the school day.
Beard said technology use increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic when schools had to rely on digital tools to continue instruction.
Now, the district wants to find a better balance between technology and face-to-face learning.
“We want to go back to those same things that I’ve been talking about, face-to-face collaboration, conversations,” Beard said.
He said those interactions help students develop soft skills and critical-thinking abilities.
The goal is a blended-learning approach where technology remains part of education but does not replace interaction between students and teachers.
Working Together With Families
As the new school year begins, Drukee said one of her priorities is strengthening the relationship between schools and families.
She said students benefit most when parents, teachers and school staff work together.
“We need to work as a team,” Drukee said. “I’m hopeful going into the new year that we’re perceived as team players, that we need to be a community that works toward the goodness of promotion of educational services for kids.”
With a new middle school, changes to classroom technology, expanded safety measures and new elementary schedules, Sand Springs students are starting the school year with several changes both inside and outside the classroom.
