Questions remain about schools' futures

Dec. 3—Ideas about Grant Foreman Elementary School's long-range future were bandied about during Muskogee Public Schools Long Range Planning Committee meeting Thursday.

Committee members and MPS officials also proposed hosting a community forum at Irving Elementary to discuss that school's future. Former Irving Principal Dennis Wilhite said he liked that idea.

"We really don't know what it's like until we walk around the building or walk around the grounds," Wilhite said. "If people see that we are going to meet in their community, and we are going to turn this into a planning session/community forum — Once they see there is an interest, it could help everybody."

No decision was made Thursday on the Irving forum or on Grant Foreman's future.

Renovations at Grant Foreman, Irving and four other elementary schools were part of the $110 million bond issue approved in 2019.

Grant Foreman, which is undergoing interior renovation, will house Sadler Arts Academy students for at least the next school year while Sadler undergoes renovation. But after that?

Possibilities included:

—Move the Early Childhood Center there.

—Return it to its original mission as an elementary school.

—Have it house the 6th Grade Academy, which it did in 2019 and 2020.

Remodeling the vacant Harris-Jobe Elementary to house ECC and a daycare center for MPS staff's children was one of the original bond issue proposals.

Assistant MPS Superintendent Lance Crawley said Sadler must undergo a complete interior remodel.

"We're talking June 1 as far as real construction is starting," he said, estimating a year for construction time.

MPS Superintendent Jarod Mendenhall said moving ECC to Grant Foreman could be done.

"But then what would you do with Harris-Jobe," he asked. "You would not be able to remodel Harris-Jobe."

Earlier this year, Mendenhall had floated the possibility of moving Irving to Grant Foreman after its renovation. Sadler's upcoming move to the Grant Foreman building delayed that proposal.

As a result, Irving students are to remain at Irving through at least the 2023 school year.

Mendenhall said district enrollment had declined over the past several years, but stabilized for the 2021-2022 school year. He had said it could be too costly to leave school buildings open when enrollment drops too much.

On Thursday, Mendenhall said the Mid-Del school district is closing two of its 18 elementary schools because it is losing students.

"They want these neighborhood schools, but what they've come down to is let's put the kids in the nicest buildings," Mendenhall said. "But that doesn't compute with the people who say 'I don't want my school building closed down, because that's part of our community.' They're struggling with the same problems."

He said Irving had maintained its growth in recent years because it has taken in students from other schools, including Whittier Elementary and Ben Franklin Science Academy. Whittier now houses Rougher Innovations Academy and BFSA now houses the 6th and 7th Grade Academy.

According to the original bond issue proposal, Irving, Creek, Pershing and New Tech at Cherokee elementary schools were to receive $1 million in renovations — $800,000 when up-front financing fees are subtracted. Whittier also originally was on that list, but a collapsed sewer line prompted the district to demolish part of the school and convert it into Rougher Innovations Academy.

"If you look at what we did to Creek, Pershing and Cherokee, that's really what Irving's going to get — carpet, paint, and playground, and an entry vestibule," Mendenhall said.

Crawley said Irving's cafeteria also has roof problems. He said one of his goals has been to talk with Irving patrons.

Long-range futures of Irving, ECC, and Harris-Jobe have not been decided.

Mendenhall said that if the district stops with just the 2019 bond issue, "we have a couple of buildings we still need to get done — ECC and Harris-Jobe; we don't want those buildings to not be used."

"My whole thought is, right after 2025, we go after another bond issue," Mendenhall said. "My thought is that we would have capacity enough to have another bond issue, and we could look at Irving and possibly have a brand new building. We have to need those things. We can't just build them, because we have to grow in enrollment.

"IF you want to propose another bond issue in 2025 it might not be a bad idea," Wilhite said. "We really take some positive steps toward what could happen in 2025."