Lack Of Funding Forces Muskogee To Propose Plan Moving Students, Teachers

A decline in state aid and enrollment could mean changes for one Muskogee elementary school.

While nothing is set in stone, the district does have a proposed plan to save money and possibly lose a school.

At Tuesday night's board of education meeting, the district gave some ideas on how to fill a close to $2 million budget shortfall, and it could mean some students will be switching schools.

Harris Jobe Elementary has 197 students who could all be learning inside different walls this fall.

"It's gonna be tough on them because any time you put a kid through change it's gonna be rough on them," said teacher Patricia Hill.

Tuesday night, the district proposed possibly moving the students, along with the ten teachers, to different schools starting in the fall.

"The important thing to know is the teachers and staff all still have jobs. We are gonna be moving them around the district and the other schools will be blessed by the teachers and staff cause they're fantastic," said Wendy Burton, with Muskogee Public Schools.

The building would remain open, but be used as a professional development center.

The district said by moving the students elsewhere it could save $350,000 a year.

"I'll be the first to say change is not fun, but with no state aid you have to make a decision." Hill said.

Burton said, "This has been talked about before over the last 20 years because it's our littlest school, but every time the state has said it will give us more state aid, so it has saved us. But this year that's not going to happen."

There is a public budget meeting set for June 2nd at the board of education and the district is asking all parents to come.

If a decision is made to relocate Harris Jobe students and staff that would happen tentatively during a June 16th vote.