Voters in the Sapulpa Public Schools district decided to pass a new $279 million bond on Tuesday by a margin of 22 votes after the results rolled in on Tuesday evening. The total for the first proposal was 60.99% for it, with 39.01% voting against it. The second proposition, which was exclusively for transportation, also passed with 61.78% for and 38.22% against.
Called the Chieftain Stronger 2023 Bond, the school bond will fund the construction of a new high school, a new performing arts center, the expansion of the school’s new Educational Pathways program, and upgrades to several of the district’s athletics facilities.
Superintendent Rob Armstrong was thrilled with the result, even though it was close. “We are pleased and grateful to the Sapulpa community for seeing the need for this bond proposal,” said Sapulpa Superintendent Rob Armstrong. “We look forward to designing and building a new high school which will forge a strong future for Sapulpa students. The next steps will happen in short order, and Sapulpans will soon see progress on the projects listed in this bond issue.”
Armstrong was on hand at a Vote Yes watch party to talk about what the passing means for the next generation of Sapulpa students. “The new high school learning environment will mirror educational pathways and the tremendous opportunities for students at Sapulpa Public Schools,” he said. “The results of the Chieftain Stronger bond will also positively impact our community as a whole. Thank you for your support, Sapulpa!”
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do a high school in your hometown, in your backyard,” said David Reed, of Reed Architecture. “I’m so grateful for that opportunity. And really, I’m proud of the folks who stood up and said ‘I’m willing to pay it forward to the next three generations.'”
Sapulpa Times wrote a series of four articles detailing each of the four important parts to the bond, beginning with the high school, then the performing arts center, followed by the Educational Pathways program, and finally concluding on the updates to the athletics, as well as other items to be funded.
Jonathan Dupee is a local business owner who doesn’t have children attending school in Sapulpa, but he voted yes for the bond because of what he says it do for the whole community. “I believe the whole town is going to benefit from this,” he said. “Whether you voted no or you voted yes—you’re gonna benefit from this.”
Dupee said that a healthy school system is critical to the growth of Sapulpa. “There’s two things that are important to any community: churches and schools,” he said. “We have plenty of churches, and now we’ve got the school that’s going to help our community to be stronger and be healthy. Healthy things are the things that grow, and I’m looking forward to seeing our town grow and make a difference. Way to go, Sapulpa!”
The passing of the proposals will mean an increase of $6.06 per month for a home with an assessed value of $100,000.
