By Jaiya Brown, FOX23 News
TULSA, Okla. — A sweeping plan to close or consolidate 17 Tulsa Public Schools campuses is leaving local families scrambling to figure out where their children will go next year, with some parents weighing whether to pull their kids from the district altogether.
More than 4,700 students will be affected by the closures, and parents said the board’s vote may have ended the decision-making process, but it’s started a new wave of uncertainty for families.
“I mean, it’s not the child’s fault,” said Demetria Harris, a former Key Elementary School parent. “Don’t punish the child—always punish the adults. But, the kids [are] always the ones to suffer.”
Harris explained that concerns about bullying and the learning environment are pushing some families to consider other options, including homeschooling.
Still, she acknowledged the challenge of taking on teaching at home.
“It takes a special kind of person to be a teacher and honestly, I am not. I have a hard time teaching my own, but if I had to, I would not mind helping another child.”
For families who plan to keep their children in public school, parents said they’re worried about what classrooms will look like next year as students move to new campuses, meet new classmates, and adjust to different classroom dynamics.
Haley Smith, a Tulsa Public Schools parent at Robertson Elementary, shared, “I know that that’s going to be a very hard conversation to have with my children. All of their primitive years were in this school building and to have to tell them ‘hey, it’s not going to be there next year,’ that’s going to be devastating.”
Harris also raised concerns about what the changes could mean for student learning, noting Oklahoma ranks 50th in the nation for education.
Tulsa Public Schools said students will have a spot at a school based on where they live and said families can also apply to other schools.
The district said it will keep bus routes for students who qualify, add more routes where needed and work with the city to help keep students safe on their way to and from school.
TPS also said it will work directly with special education families to make sure students continue receiving the services they need.
As for academic progress and concerns about students adjusting socially during the transition, TPS said it will continue enforcing its “No Fight Zone” policy and ensure each school is following its respective learning cultures.
Closing/welcoming sites are listed in a presentation you can find by clicking here, starting on slide 29.
One important change to note from TPS: Slide 44 says the feeder pattern for Salk will go to Hale, but that has been changed to Memorial instead.
Below is Tulsa Public Schools’ communications director’s full answer to the question asking how the district will support students academically and socially as they transition:
“We’re thrilled about three consecutive years of growth in Oklahoma School Testing Program (OSTP) scores and three consecutive years of increased attendance, and we believe consolidating resources will accelerate student outcomes by making art and music teachers available to every elementary student, providing better access to supports necessary to student success and expanding opportunities to pre-professional experiences. We want to build off that momentum by matching staff members with new roles, retaining highly qualified teachers and providing the academic experiences all students deserve.
The district is committed to providing safe and welcoming learning environments for every student in every building and will work closely with school leaders and staff to ensure that transitions both for students and staff are as seamless as possible.”
