Some Parents Upset About Redrawing Of Boundaries For New BA Schools

As construction crews work in boiling heat, some tempers are flaring over Broken Arrow's six new schools and the district's plans to redraw its boundary lines.

We talk with some parents, upset their children will be going to new schools in the fall.

It's crunch time for construction crews working on the new Broken Arrow schools. Outside, they're busy putting final touches on the buildings and inside, laying tiles.

"We're on target to get our teachers in and get them ready for school on August 22," said Michelle Bergwall, of Broken Arrow Public Schools.

In 2009, voters passed a $295 million school bond for district improvements. The goal is to get rid of all portables, which dominate most of the elementary schools in the district.

6/14/2012 Related Story: Broken Arrow Schools Breaks Ground On Massive Building Plan As City Grows

"It's kind of equating sleeping in a tent to sleeping in a home," Bergwall said. "We had over 100 trailers in the district, two classrooms per trailer."

For the first time in BAPS history, Pre-K will be offered all day long at three separate early childhood centers. Two of the campuses will have new elementary schools next door, and there's also a new middle school on the east side of town.

With all this comes boundary changes. Nearly 1,000 kids will shift to different schools to help even out enrollment.

"I just wish that they could stay with Liberty, because we moved, specifically, 10 years ago, to that district, so that they could go to that school," said resident Jennifer Beames.

She said it's an inconvenience that her children's school will now be further away from her house.

"It's going to be a complete change for them, some of their friends are going to be lost and they just don't like it," Beames said.

"It was a necessary evil. We're trying to have equitable schools across the district, and in the northern part of our district, we were over crowded. That's where all of our growth is happening," Bergwall said.

The district is also planning for more growth. A 92,000 square foot addition to the high school is expected to open in January.