OWASSO, Okla. — Thursday is the first day of school for nearly 10,000 students in Owasso. The district is asking voters to pass a bond measure next month to extend half-day Pre-K, to full-day.
our news partners at FOX23 talked with Owasso Superintendent Margaret Coates who shared how excited everyone is to start the new school year. The district welcomed teachers back with a big kick-off event on Monday.
Owasso Public Schools won’t have official enrollment numbers for a few weeks, but they estimate around 9,900 students. The district is working to stay ahead of growth, with many new neighborhoods popping up around Owasso.
Dr. Coates says it usually comes down to the wire, but this summer they had an easier time filling teacher vacancies.
“Actually with Epic and their situation and those teachers being released, it actually helped us fill some of the spots. Some of the teachers that left us to go to Epic have actually come back to Owasso,” said Dr. Coates.
She says you may have noticed some construction this summer. The district was busy working on projects from a 2022 bond measure that provided new roofs at the 7th Grade Center, Mills Elementary, Ator Elementary and Hodson Elementary.
They are also adding a state-of-the-art special education space and a new cafeteria and tornado safe room at Hodson.
Dr. Coates said district leaders listened to feedback after a bond measure failed by 59 votes in February and they scaled back plans.
On Sept. 9, Owasso Public Schools is asking voters to approve a $169 million plan to build a 5th grade center adjacent to the sixth grade center, opening up classroom space at elementary schools to extend Pre-K to a full day.
“We went back to the drawing board, sent out surveys, got feedback trying to figure out how we need to adjust and the number one concern with the package before was just the overall cost and the fear, the worry about taxes going up. This time around we’ve lowered the total cost by 13 percent, no tax increase, we’re able to keep most of the major projects all in the proposal,” said Dr. Coates.
The district also plans to use that money to make improvements on many campuses.
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