TPS Board of Education sets date for 2021 bond election

(TULSA, Okla.) The Tulsa Board of Education has voted to hold a bond election on Tuesday, June 8 for Tulsans to consider the 2021 Bond for Tulsa Public Schools. If passed by Tulsans, the 2021 Bond for Tulsa Public Schools will invest $414 million over five years in Tulsa children, teachers, and families and make a meaningful impact in every school. Bond funding at Tulsa Public Schools supports much more than building expenses and textbooks - it supports everything from fine arts to fences, from books to basketballs, and from telephones to tires. Funding from the 2015 bond, for example, ensured that every Tulsa student had a Chromebook or laptop to use at home during the pandemic closures and has helped us to safely reopen schools with improved air filtration and ventilation systems. “Every student and every school in our district will benefit from the investments in the 2021 Bond for Tulsa Public School,” said Superintendent Deborah Gist. “Bond funding plays a critical role in our classrooms, especially in our students’ college- and career- readiness by increasing postsecondary career-education programs at every secondary school including our college and business partnerships; expanding access to early childhood education programs for every Tulsa child; and creating strong science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education by improving access to STEM programs district-wide.” "Bonds have become a critical source for funding the day to day maintenance and operation to help our district create great teaching and learning experiences for every student," said Tulsa Public Schools Board President Stacey Woolley. "Bonds provide safe and state-of-the-art classrooms, libraries, and stadiums, high-quality classroom technology, and importantly this year, support investments in building ventilation and other COVID-19 safety enhancements. Bond funds also support the purchase of buses; a wide range of classroom materials such as textbooks, microscopes, and musical instruments; and computers and networking – which has proved critical to support our students and families in our shifts to distance learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic."

The 2021 Bond for Tulsa Public Schools focuses on five key areas: · Ensuring that every child learns in a safe, secure, healthy, and accessible environment; · Expanding access to programs that prepare every student to succeed in college and careers; · Strengthening science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programming in all schools; · Nurturing the whole child with investments in fine arts, athletics, physical education, wellness, and purposeful play; and · Providing state-of-the-art educational technology for every student and every teacher. On June 8, Tulsans will have the opportunity to vote on the four propositions included in this bond: · Proposition 1: Safe Learning Environments ($166.8 million) · Proposition 2: Student and Classroom Technologies ($90.7 million) · Proposition 3: Student Transportation ($17.3 million) · Proposition 4: Quality Learning Materials and Programs ($139.3 million) To learn more about the 2021 Bond for Tulsa Public Schools and to find voter registration, visit www.tulsaschools.org/2021bond