Tulsa Public School Superintendent: Part Of Consolidation Proposals Off The Table

The response to Tulsa Public Schools&#39;&nbsp;three consolidation proposals has the district&#39;s leader back-pedaling. <br /><br /><a href="http://www8.tulsaschools.org/4_About_District/project_sh_proposals.asp" target="_blank">Read all three Project Schoolhouse Proposals</a>

Tuesday, April 12th 2011, 8:20 pm

By: News On 6


Ashli Sims, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- The Superintendent of Tulsa Public Schools said Tuesday night two items included in the Project Schoolhouse proposals are off the table.

Dr. Keith Ballard said he is no longer considering closing Central High School.  He also said plans to turn some schools into 1st- 8th grade "super elementary" schools have fallen by the wayside.

Read all three Project Schoolhouse Proposals

Meanwhile, the district's consolidation plans sparked anger at a North Tulsa community meeting Tuesday night.

In 42 years, Margaret Myers has worked with a lot of students and she's spent her whole career in one building.

"Everyone knows everyone. The history. I now have students coming back. I taught their parents. I know their grandparents. It's just a situation that you wouldn't want to tear apart," she said.

So she takes the possibility of Greeley Elementary closing personally.

"Well my heart kinda sank. I thought, 'Oh my God. I opened the school. Now I'm fixin to close the school," Myers said.

It's something parents and students don't want to see happen.

"Because we trying to save our school," Ariyana Ross, a Greeley student, said.

"We need our schools open, please do not close our schools," Tarika Markhum, a Greeley parent, said. "Lots of parents don't have transportation to go to other schools. We really need to keep Greeley open."

They're protesting Tulsa Public Schools plans to shrink and streamline the district to save millions.  Gilcrease Middle School's auditorium was packed as parents and community members lined up to give the district a piece of their minds.

"To tell me I only have these three choices. My choice is, no! I don't like any of them," James Johnson said, as the crowd erupted in applause.

"You close the pools, you close the parks, and then you close the schools. Do you think anyone is going to want to live in North Tulsa? No! It's going to become a ghost town," Tulsa City Councilor Jack Henderson said.

Myers says she's been around long enough to know that with only 140 students, Greeley would be a target. She just hopes the district could find some way to save this school for the community's sake.

"Cause there are no stores here, there is nothing here but the school," she said. "It's everything. You can look around. This is the center of the whole community. It's its lifeline."

Greeley Elementary is slated to close under two of the proposals that have been released. But Dr. Ballard says the final recommendation will be a combination of those plans, plus some new ideas.

Related Stories:

4/12/2011 Survey Finds Tulsa Teachers Willing To Change For 'Trade Ups'
4/8/2011 District Consolidation Spurs Third Survey From Tulsa Public Schools

4/6/2011 Tulsa Elementary Parents Unite Against Possible School Closing

4/5/2011 Tulsa Neighborhood Rallies To Save Elementary School

4/5/2011 How Will District Consolidation Affect Transfer Trend At Tulsa Public Schools?

4/5/2011 Tulsa Public Schools Urging Parents To Pre-Enroll Pre-K, Kindergarten Students

4/4/2011 Tulsa Parents Fight To Keep Elementary School Open

4/4/2011 Consolidation Proposal Would Make Tulsa School Grades 1-12

4/1/2011 Parents, Kids Protest District's Proposal To Close Tulsa Elementary School

3/31/2011 Consolidation Means Possible Expansion For Some TPS Programs

3/31/2011 Tulsa Public Schools: $1.1 Million In Bonds Committed To Sites That Could Close

3/31/2011 Tulsa Public Schools Revises Dates For Forums On School Consolidation

3/30/2011 TPS Proposal Would Make Rogers High School A College Magnet Program

3/30/2011 Tulsa Elementary Teachers Hope To Keep School Open

3/29/2011 TPS Parent: Community Will Fail If School Closes

3/29/2011 Some Say Eliminating Tulsa Middle Schools Would Benefit Students

3/29/2011 Neighbors Raise Concerns Over Possible Tulsa Elementary School Closures

3/29/2011 TPS Superintendent: District Spread Too Thin To Be Effective

3/29/2011 Tulsa Public Schools Could Close Up To 17 Schools

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