Tulsans will vote on a Tulsa Public Schools bond package March 3 after the school board unanimously approved the district’s proposal.
TPS spokesman Chris Payne says it’s heavy on capital funding.
"We do have the district on a 20-year capital improvement plan, and what we do is over time, we are able to address all of the building needs," Payne said. "If you look at this bond, there really is something for every school."
More than half of the proposed $415 million bond package will be for building, expanding or repairing school facilities. That includes building a new east Tulsa elementary school.
About $140 million will be for classroom learning materials. A lot of that will be spent on getting a computer or tablet for every student.
"Our kids — from a very early age — really need to have access to computers and know how to use them, so that's going to be a growing thing, it's very important and we're just seeing a lot of support for that," Payne said. "So it's going to be a large — about one-fourth of the bond will be technology."
The package will be split into four individual bonds.
"Sometimes you find that the public is more supportive of some areas than others, and that way there's some flexibility," Payne said. "If they have portions they want to accept and other portions that they don't, they can vote 'No' on other issues."
Those four bonds, from largest to smallest, are for facilities, classroom learning materials, libraries and transportation. If all are approved, it would be the largest bond package in state history.
