BIXBY, Okla. — Bixby voters will soon decide if the school district will build a new high school. It’s part of an upcoming $110 million bond issue.
Bixby Superintendent Rob Miller said a new high school is long overdue.
“Our high school was built for a 4A school and is older and doesn’t have a lot of the resources that we need," Miller said.
The new school would be built just south of the football stadium.
As for the current building, some areas would be renovated and updated. But most high school students would move to the new building, which, if the bond passes, the district hopes to open in fall 2024.
Miller said these changes are needed to keep up with the growth in the district.
“Between now and 2028 and 2029, we’re expecting a growth of about 800 to 1,000 students at the high school level," Miller said. "And we have just do not have room for that.”
The bond also looks to add seating and update concessions at Bixby’s football stadium. It would also build an indoor training facility and a 9th-grade practice gym.
The district plans to update all of its schools, including adding 20 classrooms at its west campus.
“We want to make sure too that that growth as we build classrooms that we’re also going back to some of our older campuses and investing, making sure that we’re providing equitable, quality across the board," Miller said.
The district is also partnering with the city of Bixby on a separate bond issue for a $43 million performing arts center. It will appear on the ballot as a city of Bixby proposal, but, if approved, Bixby students would benefit from the building.
“Our band programs, our kindergarten holiday programs, all of the music and band and drama will have access to this really phenomenal facility," Miller said.
Miller said the school bond will not increase taxes, but will extend the current tax rate. It needs 60 percent of the vote to pass.
The district is holding three community forums to answer questions about the bond.
The first is Wed., Jan. 12, at the west campus cafeteria. The second is on Jan. 19 at the North Intermediate cafeteria. The third meeting on Jan. 26 will be at the high school auditorium and on livestream.
The bond election is set for Feb. 8. You can learn more about the Bixby bond here.
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