Dear Union Patrons,
“Worth It All” – a theme we used at Teacher Kick-Off – continues to resonate with me. Our students are worth it. Our teachers are worth it. Moreover, our investment in their shared future by the passage of our most recent bond issue boldly proclaims: They are
“Worth It All.”
We are so grateful to the generosity of Tulsa and Broken Arrow voters and Union’s supportive community of students, families and teachers. In February 2018, you overwhelmingly passed our district’s first multi-year bond issue, providing Union with $128.6 million over 5 years that will enable us to make major investments in our children’s future.
Union is at a major point of convergence, where the seeds we have sown over the last several years are all beginning to bear fruit. We recently unveiled a new 5-year strategic plan for the district, renewing our commitment to “100% Graduation, College and Career Ready.”
That commitment is manifested in many visible ways throughout our district, whether it’s the nearly completed Ellen Ochoa Elementary or the distribution of laptops to all 9th graders and iPads to Boevers students as part of the ambitious roll out of the 1-to-1 initiative. As responsible stewards of your tax dollars, Union recognizes that our investment in capital projects, technology and other tools is always in service to our mission of educating every student.
This is an EXCITING time for Union Public Schools and our students. From now through 2022, we are embarking on the largest and most significant series of construction projects in our district’s history.
Some of that work began in 2018 – like the creation of a STEM Design Lab at the Metro Building or the “front house” renovation of the Performing Arts Center at Union High School – but the best is yet to come.
At the close of the football season in 2019, we will begin demolition on the west side of Union’s Tuttle Stadium, paving the way toward a brand-new “home” side with improved accessibility, concessions and restroom facilities, and a revitalized east side. Over the course of the next four years, we will add a Fine Arts wing to the north side of the stadium to better serve band students, and provide improved weight room and locker facilities for athletics, as well as new space for wrestling, volleyball, spirit, and golf.
There are so many exciting things ahead, we wanted to show our patrons the progress made in 2018, and to lay out the plans for 2019. We will attempt to provide answers to your biggest questions, particularly those pertaining to the tear down and construction of the stadium.
Once you see the road map for the year ahead, I believe it will confirm what we already know: Our children and teachers are “Worth It All.”
Sincerely,
Kirt Hartzler, Ed.D., Superintendent
Generously approved by Union’s patrons, 2018's historic five-year bond proposal has provided $128.6 million for the following projects through 2022.
Ellen Ochoa Elementary Construction Phase III and Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment (FF&E) |
$6,600,000 |
Design Lab at Metro Building Renovation and FF&E | $3,250,000 |
Performing Arts Center – Restroom Renovation; Lighting, Sound, and Acoustical Improvements | $1,450,000 |
District Fine Arts, Athletics, Classroom, and Stadium Renovation and Construction including FF&E | $42,475,000 |
Teaching and Learning Instructional Resources (not including technology for classrooms) | $4,750,000 |
District Exterior and Interior Renovations (includes playgrounds, marquees, and flooring) | $5,125,000 |
District Roof Replacements | $7,500,000 |
District HVAC System Replacements | $7,300,000 |
District Maintenance and Operations Equipment and Other Capital Improvements | $8,400,000 |
Technology Hardware, Software, and Subscriptions | $20,575,000 |
Site and Department Allocations | $6,850,000 |
Early Childhood Education Center Purchase Payments | $2,500,000 |
Transportation – Buses | $4,600,000 |
Fees, Professional Services, and Contingency | $7,200,000 |
5-YEAR TOTAL | $128,575,000 |
*Note: The numbers presented in the table above are estimates.