Tulsa Superintendent Says He Misspoke About Nixing Consolidation Proposal

The superintendent says he will release his final consolidation plan this Friday. He&#39;s also walking back plans to scrap Proposal C. <br /><br /><a href="http://www8.tulsaschools.org/4_About_District/project_sh_proposals.asp" target="_blank">Read all three Project Schoolhouse Proposals</a>

Monday, April 18th 2011, 10:08 pm

By: News On 6


Ashli Sims, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma --  Tulsa Public Schools' historic overhaul is still up in the air.

The superintendent says he will release his final consolidation plan this Friday. He's also walking back plans to scrap Proposal C.

Read all three Project Schoolhouse Proposals

Last week Superintendent Dr. Keith Ballard said that Proposal C, the plan that would close Central High School and 16 other schools, was off the table. Now he's saying he misspoke.

Hundreds of parents, concerned citizens, and students have turned out to sound off on Tulsa Public Schools consolidation plans.

"If you close Peary, where will we go?" students asked Dr. Keith Ballard last Thursday. 

The head of Tulsa Public Schools, Dr. Keith Ballard, told Peary students they wouldn't have to worry. Peary would have closed under Proposal C and it seemed like that plan had been scuttled.

"The 1-8 and the closing of Central and all of that Plan C, really is off the table," Ballard said last week.

Now the superintendent says that was a mistake.

"I think that was a bit of a misspeak on my part not really saying exactly what I was thinking," he said Monday.

He reiterates Peary and Central will not be closed, but that doesn't mean the other 15 schools slated to shutdown under Proposal C are in the clear.

"I'm thinking that Peary and Central were out. But I was not thinking that all of the schools listed in proposal C are off the table," Ballard said.

Proposal C was the least popular plan in a survey of parents and taxpayers: Two-thirds of respondents say they don't support it.

Neither of the other two plans that have been publicized got widespread support. Plan B, which would saves the least money and closes the fewest schools, got the most support at 49 percent.

Dr. Ballard wants to assure parents and the community he is listening.

"We know what the research says, we know what our numbers are, but there is a human side to this. There is a heart of this," he said. "And there's a community viewpoint. And no, not all of the forums have been pleasant. And we are absolutely taking that into consideration."

Dr. Ballard has said all along that his final recommendation to the board will be combination of Proposal A, B, and C, plus some new ideas. We will find out those details on Friday.

Related Stories:

4/18/2011 Tulsa Public Schools Survey: Parents Support Consolidation, If...
4/16/2011
TPS: Every Student May Be Affected By Shuttered Tulsa Schools
4/14/2011 Tulsa Superintendent Axes One Of Three Consolidation Proposals
4/13/2011 Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Says Consolidation Long Overdue
04/12/2011 Tulsa Public School Superintendent: Part Of Consolidation Proposals Off The Table
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

logo

Get The Daily Update!

Be among the first to get breaking news, weather, and general news updates from News on 6 delivered right to your inbox!

More Like This

April 18th, 2011

September 29th, 2024

July 4th, 2024

April 15th, 2024

Top Headlines

October 8th, 2024

October 8th, 2024

October 8th, 2024

October 8th, 2024