In January, the Tulsa Public School Board will likely vote on a recommendation by Superintendent Deborah Gist to close or merge three schools due to a $20,000,000.00 budget shortfall.

Gist wants to close Jones, Wright and Grimes elementaries in 2020 and possibly merge Mark Twain Elementary into the Wayman Tisdale Fine Arts Academy.

Another part of her proposal would be to convert Memorial, Central and Rogers junior highs into 6th-8th grade middle schools at the start of the 2020 fall term. Memorial, Central and Rogers now have only 7th and 8th grade classes.

The announcement has already drawn protests by families of students and friends of teachers who will be displaced if the plan is approved.

In a message to employees, Gist wrote, “The recommendation to close Grimes, Jones, and Wright elementary schools and consolidate Mark Twain into Wayman Tisdale was an extraordinarily difficult decision to make. I am proud of the work our teams are doing serve their students and families.

“We put a great deal of thought and care into our analysis of all district schools to understand where there might be opportunities to both improve the ways that we’re using our buildings and spaces and potentially enhance the learning experiences of our students.”

According to Gist:

• Students in pre-kindergarten through 5th grade at Mark Twain would move to Wayman Tisdale;
• Students currently enrolled at Jones, Grimes, and Wright would move to other nearby neighborhood schools;
• Rogers and Central would become 6th-12th grade campuses;
• Memorial Junior High would become a 6th-8th grade middle school;
• 6th grade at Burroughs, Emerson, Academy Central, and Tisdale would move to Central;
• 6th grade at Key, Marshall, and Salk would move to Memorial;
• Rising 6th graders at Sequoyah would have preference at Rogers or attend Monroe as their neighborhood school; and
• Rising 6th graders at Kendall-Whittier Elementary would have preference at Rogers.

“The recommendations related to Memorial, Central, and Rogers are a continuation of our ongoing work to create consistency in grade configurations across the district, making it easier for families to navigate through our system,” Gist wrote. “We know from research and experience that minimizing transitions supports strong academic performance and helps foster meaningful relationships with teachers and peers. Additionally, in a middle school setting, students will have expanded access to developmentally appropriate activities, spaces, and experiences. It is our intention that by the 2021-2022 school year, students at Tulsa Public Schools would experience no more than two transitions — from 5th to 6th grade and from 8th to 9th grade.”

Gist claimed her plan would ensure all students have equitable access to learning and special programs. She promised support for teachers and administrators and funding for her programs and facilities.

The factors in her decision included school history, enrollment decline, programs, building usage, building condition, needs of the community and access to other schools.

“When a school closes, students are assigned to a new nearby neighborhood school,” Gist said. “We also provide support for families who wish to consider other school options in the district. These transitions can be challenging, so when feasible, we work with families to help make sure that students are able to attend the same school with their close friends or relatives.”

She expects every teacher from a closed school will be transferred to another school.

Gist promised to receive input from the public concerning her recommendations.