Tulsa School Consolidation Plan Goes Into Phase 2

Final approval for "phase two" of Project Schoolhouse means two school buildings will close - and two will reopen - moving hundreds of students and faculty to new buildings.

This is a significant shift of students that further refines project schoolhouse by balancing out the sizes of schools.

The open concept of Mayo Demonstration School goes beyond the lack of walls blocking the view. The classrooms are not strictly divided by grade.

Children can learn with older or younger classmates depending on ability. It's a concept that Principal Kenneth Joslin says is ready to move into a bigger building.

"I don't think it's tied just to this building. We're going to have to be more intentional about what we do to build that sense of community, but everybody is still committed to it," said Mayo Principal Kenneth Joslin.

Expanding Mayo is one element of Project Schoolhouse, round two. The Tulsa school board approved it Tuesday night.

The school board vote moves students out of two crowded buildings into two larger empty ones.

The now empty Wilson Middle School will be the new home of Mayo - giving it room to more than double in size, over the next five years.

And the crowded Sequoyah Elementary will be closed at the end of the school year. The students will move into the now empty Cleveland Middle School - which is much larger.

The board also voted to close Early College High at TCC and move those students to Rogers College High. And reopen Burbank as part of Bell Elementary.

School Superintendent Keith Ballard says Project Schoolhouse 2 was needed to adjust school sizes - and this won't be the last adjustment.

"And project schoolhouse needs to continue on, on an annual basis," Ballard said.

The shift in all these students will take place over this coming summer - and in the meantime, the district will be reconfiguring these buildings to accommodate the new classes - and the younger students.