OKCPS Bond Passes, Will Provide Major Infrastructure Upgrades

A massive bond proposal for Oklahoma City Public Schools was approved by voters Tuesday night. This is the first school bond for OKCPS since 2016.  

Schools will receive nearly $1 billion thanks to the bond. The money will be used to build new schools and provide renovations to several others. The district hopes to complete more than 400 projects over the next five years. 

“This is the biggest investment we'll have ever made as a community in Oklahoma City schools," said Mayor David Holt. 

“Our kids will get to have similar opportunities to students who attend schools in surrounding areas we're just behind," said Superintendent of Oklahoma City Public Schools, Dr. Sean McDaniel. 

McDaniel says more than two years of planning went into this bond proposal. He says they looked at Tulsa Public Schools, a similar metro district in the state, along with suburban districts near Oklahoma City. 

“In reality, this is a school district with 34,000 kids, managing a portfolio of over 70 buildings this is the level of investment we have to make," said Holt. 

Mayor Holt says the fundamental investment is infrastructure.  

“When we talk about infrastructure, we're talking about everything from the building itself to the furnishings, the fixtures, the equipment that go inside the building," said McDaniel. He says the money will also go towards extracurricular resources such as athletic or band uniforms and transportation to school events. 

McDaniel says the average age of schools in the metro is 72 years old, and there's 9 schools that are over 100 years old. The majority of this money will be used to rebuild or renovate those.  

McDaniel says some smaller projects will get started within the year, and they're hoping the new schools will open in August of 2026. 

Opponents raised concerns about the tax increase, mainly those who don’t have students in OKCPS, such as single or elderly residents. But 64% of voters were in favor. Oklahoma City Public Schools currently have the lowest mill levy rate in the metro at 18. This will raise that- putting the district more in line with other metro districts. 

McDaniel says this is just one step in the future of Oklahoma City Public Schools. 

“This bond issue catches us up and maybe gets us ahead a little bit. As we wind down this set of projects a few years down the road we will already be planning for the next phase.” 

Oklahoma City Public Schools will be hosting community meetings in the coming months to share more information about the projects. They say they want full transparency with the community during this process.