GORE, Okla. — The city of Gore will decide whether to rebuild most of its school district's elementary school August 27 in a bond measure its proponents see as a financial win-win.
According to the bond proposal, millage rate stays 27.5 mills with current interest rates. In other words, Gore residents won't see any increased taxes.
The proposal includes tearing down its main elementary school building that houses grades 2-5 to make room for green space.
The school's other building with Pre-K through 1st grade would get renovated with bigger classrooms.
The rest of the elementary school would open as brand new, replacing the district's bus barn while preserving a small plot of land around the school's treasured pecan tree.
One parent, Brooke Taylor, said she's had enough of "yucky" conditions her daughter spent the last year learning in.
"The cafeteria is just one band-aid after the other," Taylor told 2 News. "The roof completely needs replacement. HVAC (should be) gone. The bathrooms are not a place you want to send your kindergarten students to go to the bathroom."
Taylor and other parents within the Gore PTA want to get the word out for the August 27 election date.
Voters will choose whether to authorize $11.9 million to go to the new elementary school, which also includes a community shelter.
"We should view it as a situation where it needs to be acted upon now," Gore High School Principal Amanda Andrews said.
The bond doesn't affect any of the grades Andrews oversees, but the first-year Gore principal said she wants what's best for her own kids in the district and their new home.
"It's not just updating for the students. It's also updating for all of the community. And that's important," Andrews added.
If the measure passes, construction bidding would start by January, according to the district. Doors would open for the fall 2027 semester.
Voters on both sides of Sequoyah County and Muskogee County will see the Gore school bond on their August 27 ballots as long as they are registered within the district.
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