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Union Public Schools' 14th Elementary Officially Under Construction

Matt Trotter
/
KWGS

District officials break ground for a new Union elementary school that will eventually accommodate 1,000 students in rapidly growing east Tulsa.

Superintendent Kirt Hartzler said the district has desperately needed the new school but couldn’t find land within its boundaries.

"So, I would like to just publicly state a note of gratitude to the former Garnett Church of Christ for agreeing to sell us this property in order to fill our needs and our hopes and our dreams, for creating not just an elementary school, but Union's really first comprehensively designed community school," Hartzler said.

The district’s 14th elementary school is on the site of the old Green Country Event Center, 12000 E 31st St.

The $15 million first phase should open next fall with 24 classrooms for up to 500 students. Education board President Heather McAdams said the new school is definitely needed in the high-growth area, where Union has as many as 1,000 students in 1 square mile.

"We've got three schools in 3 square miles and too many kids to fit into them," McAdams said. "We've got kids who have to be on a bus to go to a school that's farther south."

Students were involved in planning; that’s why there will be a slide in the school’s media center.

"I'm happy that I was a part of helping build this wonderful school," said Cydney Marable, a student on the planning commission.

"I can't wait to see when the school's finished and other kids getting to come here," said Trenton Pierce, another student planner.

Second and third phases will add more classrooms, a gym and arts space, expanding the school's capacity to 1,000 students.

Matt Trotter joined KWGS as a reporter in 2013. Before coming to Public Radio Tulsa, he was the investigative producer at KJRH. His freelance work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and on MSNBC and CNN.