Bixby And Broken Arrow Superintendents Address Rising Student Populations

The superintendents for two of Green Country’s biggest school districts said they expect their populations to keep getting bigger.

Bixby’s Rob Miller and Broken Arrow’s Chuck Perry both talked about growth and how they are working to meet that need within their districts.

Perry said Broken Arrow had at least 20,000 students enrolled in the district for the first time ever last year. Meanwhile, in Bixby, new buildings are under construction to address the growing community.

In his address to the Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce, Perry mentioned the upcoming bond vote, which would provide money for facilities and upgrades.

“If you drive around the city right now and see all the neighborhoods popping up, we expect that to continue,” said Perry. “We’ve grown 24 percent since 2009.”

Over in Bixby, Miller echoed a similar message. The district is growing so fast it added nearly a hundred new teachers just for this school year.

“We’re on track over the next four to five years to continue that, growing another 1,200 to 1,500,” said Miller. “We’ve got to be very deliberate in our efforts to continue to build classrooms.”

Construction is underway on a new high school and other facility upgrades.

Miller also tackled the growing topic of using artificial intelligence in the classroom. He said students are catching on, so it is up to educators to stay ahead of the curve.

“What we have to do is be creative in making sure that we’re modeling the attributes of an active learner, a critical thinker,” he said. “We do that by using this technology in ways that kids can see how we use it responsibly.”

Miller said the state of Bixby Schools is strong despite outspoken criticism over public education from some state leaders. He said he tries to drown that noise out and focus on the impacts his teachers are making.

“As professionals, we have to keep our eye on the ball and make sure that we’re doing those things every single day with our kids, our teachers, to make sure that they’re valued, they’re safe and accepted here in Bixby Public Schools,” he said.