On the surface, one might think school bond issues are mostly about kids and what they need — new or repaired schools, new computers and new and safer buses.
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But in Oklahoma City during the past few decades, bond issue elections have been more of a referendum on trust. After all, few who walked into the city's schools in the last 20 years or so would doubt whether more money was needed for across-the-board improvements. The need was obvious but still, bond issues often failed.
On Tuesday, voters in the Oklahoma City School District will consider whether to approve a $248 million bond issue for school repairs, technology, equipment and buses. It will be the first such vote since 2001 when voters approved MAPS for Kids, a sales tax and bond issue package aimed at revitalizing a struggling school district. Once again, many voters will base their decision on whether they trust school leadership with their hard-earned money.
Six years ago, as the MAPS for Kids vote loomed, the best answer to that concern was to have faith — believe that the high-level business and city leaders involved in the effort wouldn't let spending get out of control or allow money to be wrongfully diverted. Proponents understood that many voters had lost faith in district leadership; failed bond issues were proof.
City and school leaders agreed to create a separate trust to supervise the sales tax revenue and bond-funded projects. The OCMAPS Trust was to oversee the construction projects and make sure they stayed on time and on budget as much as possible. City staff, including many who worked on the original MAPS project, were assigned to handle the day-to-day operations in cooperation with school district leaders. Accountability was key.
Clearly, the system is working. Construction, while not without occasional hiccups, has progressed largely as planned with adjustments made as necessary. The city council and school board still must give separate approval on many items, adding another layer to the accountability matrix.
School and city leaders will keep the trust in place to handle construction projects proposed under the new bond issue. That's a smart decision. MAPS for Kids projects won't finish up until 2010, so that work will overlap with some projects proposed under the new bond issue. It only makes sense to keep the management of all the projects centralized.
Voters won't have to rely on faith or "trust us” pleas this time around. We've got six years of proof that the proper financial and management controls are in place for the work to be finished properly and that any necessary adjustments will be well-vetted.
The need is there. The right accountability structure is in place. The only thing left to do is vote yes on Tuesday.
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I agree TRUST is the big issue in regard to accountability. Somehow one would be shocked that over 50yrs the students of OKC didn't have gyms in the most formative yrs of their lives. I worked in the OKC school district for many years and yes taught PE at all levels. I was embarrassed to have to teach PE in cafeteria and portable buildings it wasn't safe or productive. You and I know of the waste during those years of incompentency with little vision from school leaders and many are still there. Leave NO CHild behind is not going no were whether or not if you disagree/agree standards/accountability will have to be met. OKC school district have chosen a great leader who understands how standards must be met! School board, business leaders, civic leaders, parents, students must understand this process trying to dodge anyone of those stakeholders is a mistake that we have seen so many times before. Technology is huge,huge cog that has to been addressed the infastructures has to updated district need to be looking at new facility for administration building that can better handle technology.
Oklahoma prepared a great educator with some of finest colleges but because of lack of vision they lost some of the finest educators hopefully focused will be back on students not just patch up work but real focuse. Then the community will pass bond issues with the same requirements schools have for students to graduate!
I say yes for bond issue too but also for real vision and real leadership!
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Thank you for joining our conversations on NewsOK.com. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
Leave a comment. Log in below or sign up (it's free).Editor's note: It is not our intent to offer comments on crime or fatality stories.
Oklahoma prepared a great educator with some of finest colleges but because of lack of vision they lost some of the finest educators hopefully focused will be back on students not just patch up work but real focuse. Then the community will pass bond issues with the same requirements schools have for students to graduate!
I say yes for bond issue too but also for real vision and real leadership!