Owasso revives school bond: No tax hike this time

Voters in Owasso will soon decide on a $169 million bond package that would provide more funding to the school district.

A similar proposal failed earlier this year.

Owasso’s superintendent says this proposal would keep the tax rate the same while still providing the funding the district needs.

No tax increase

It’s a busy time for Owasso Public Schools. The school year just started, and administrators are looking ahead to a big vote.

"Glad to be back in school so we can continue to share that information with our faculty, staff and parents, and encourage them to get out and vote yes," said Superintendent Dr. Margaret Coates.

Owasso is asking voters to decide on a $169 million bond package to help fund big changes for the district. Voters shot down a similar proposal back in February, partly because it would have raised taxes. Dr. Coates said they kept that in mind when crafting this new proposal.

"We scaled back some of our projects that are still currently on this next one, but scaled those back just a bit and moved some smaller projects to the next bond. So it’s going to be a 13% reduction in the total cost, and no tax increase," she said.

New fifth-grade center

A big part of this proposal is a new fifth-grade center, something Coates said is needed because of growth in Owasso.

"We are predicted to grow by 1,000 students or more in the next 10 years. And so we’ve got to start preparing for that now," she said.

Coates said the new center would free up space in other elementary schools.

Added safety upgrades

She said the proposal would also add safety features, including upgrading windows in all schools to make them harder to break into. Something parents are on board with.

"Safety is definitely a top priority for me for sure," said Noah King. "I think anything that helps the kids is definitely something that should happen [...] You’ve got our vote!"

Owasso Public Schools is encouraging parents and voters to attend a meeting on Aug. 26 to learn more about the bond package. Election Day is Sept. 9.