OKAY, Okla. — Voters in the Wagoner County town of Okay are voting on $5 million for its school district for upgrades and a more modern sports gym on Aug. 27th.
District officials are ready for a state-of-the-art competition gymnasium to replace Okay High School's current George Hopkins Field House, which holds just under 500 people.
If approved, the current venue would be kept in place for practices and lower grades' uses.
Principal Mark Hayes says 'Stang Nation's athletics success makes filling the gym past its fire code almost a routine.
"Really it's our stakeholders – our parents and grandparents – who have come to us time and time again asking for a bigger place," Hayes said
Superintendent Pete Hiseley told 2 News it's not just sports that need a bigger place.
"We haven't had graduation in five years here (on campus) because we don't have room," Hiseley said. "Any assemblies or award assemblies, veterans, anything of any nature, we are packed."
The district awaits a green light from voters in the bond election to build the new home court with more than twice its current capacity for $5.33 million.
"We've had many, many people ask us why we can't have a nicer facility, a bigger facility, like the people we play," Hiseley added.
Hiseley boasts his district takes some of the lowest millage from residents in the state.
If the bond passes, funding the new gym would bump it up to $27.96 per every $100 spent annually on property tax within the district, or $2.33 per month taken for the district.
Convenience store employee Sherry Cleveland has a tenth grader at the high school about to play basketball this year. The prospect of the new gym being ready in time for his graduation in 2027 is enough to convince her to vote yes.
"Yeah I really want to go to his graduation here. He'd be my first kid to graduate," Cleveland said. "I don't want to have to go to Muskogee for it."
In other parts of town like the Okay Senior Center, there's a different take.
"I don't mind paying taxes to support schools. You know, $2 or whatever isn't much money," William O'Bannon, a planned 'No' voter, told 2 News. "But I think $5 million is a lot of money to spend so somebody can watch a basketball game."
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