$7 Million In Additional Budget Cuts To Be Recommended At OKCPS Board Meeting

Oklahoma City Public Schools Associate Superintendent Aurora Lora is expected to announce another $7 million of recommended budget cuts at Monday night’s board of education meeting.

So far, the budget for the 2016-2017 school year has been slashed by $23 million. This latest round of cuts will get the district to their goal of $30 million for the upcoming semesters. 

Lora asked the board to consider school consolidation, shortening the school year by two days, reorganize district operations, reduce athletics and fine arts budget, declare several properties owned by the district as surplus allowing the district to sell the properties and negotiate contracts.

According to the announcement, the proposed school consolidations are for Kaiser East 5th and 6th grade students to relocate to Kaiser Elementary and for Greystone Lower Elementary Pre-K and kindergarten to relocate to Greystone Upper Elementary School.

On May 10, OKCPS issued a press release outlining from where those additional cuts may be coming. 

According to OKCPS spokesperson Mark Myers, the board will have to vote on Lora's recommendations. Myers tells News 9 that vote will not happen at Monday night's meeting.