Union Public Schools Asking Voters To Approve $26M Bond

Voters in the Union school district are going to decide whether to pay for school improvements.

Union Public Schools is asking voters to approve a $26 million bond issue on February 14.

Tuesday, the superintendent met with staff to outline what the bond means for the district.

As student population continues to grow the districts needs to assure it can keep up.

The district needs the community to get out and vote to approve the $26 million bond issue. The school district has been working on the bond proposal since last year.

Superintendent Kirt Hartzler said, "I think, in light of these economic times that we find ourselves in right now in Oklahoma, our bond issue is really the lifeblood of what we do in our existence."

State funding continues to be an issue, and there's just not enough money in the district's general fund to pay for all the improvements they need.

The bond wouldn't increase taxes - instead, it would just extend the taxes already being paid.

The bond is broken down into three parts: it'll address phase two of elementary school 14 construction, improving the STEM project, and making extensions and repairs at the high school.

Phase one of Elementary 14 is expected to be finished in August, but, to continue construction, the district plans to allocate $11 million to phase two.

Hartzler said, “We really are in essence building two elementary schools in one to take care of the growth needs we have in the north central part of our district."

In the last five years, STEM enrollment has skyrocketed. To keep that initiative alive, money needs to be allocated to textbooks, computers, software and learning labs.

The third aspect of the bond issue will address overcrowding.

The high school is running out of room, and bond money will build extra classrooms and renovate the stadium.

"I do believe that they recognize the value of having a quality school system, so, we would just hope our patrons would look at the work we do and vote favorable on this bond issue," Hartzler said.

The deadline to register to vote for the bond is this Friday.

You can find a more detailed outline at how the bond money breaks down here.