TPS New Goals, Possible Closures Discussed At Board of Education Meeting
The State Department of Education says Tulsa Public Schools must meet several new goals as a part of its mandated improvement plan.
At Thursday’s State Board of Education meeting, the board voted unanimously to require several items: that TPS should get 50% of its students to score “basic” on state assessments, or at least increase the number of students scoring basic by 5%. It requires TPS to train all teachers and administrators on the science of reading and get most of its low-performing schools to improve significantly. It also voted to require TPS to continue its monthly updates.
The board also asked the district to identify school sites to close, and to get on top of the issue sooner than later.
"We really need to start moving from consideration to action on all of those things if that’s going to happen successfully by the next school year because this is a very large district, obviously a lot of logistics involved," said legal counsel Bryan Cleveland.
TPS officials say the decision to close schools would only be made after careful consideration from its school board and the community.
EPA Plan To Eliminate Lead Pipes In The U.S.
The EPA says it wants lead pipes totally gone from drinking water delivery systems across the country in the next ten years.
Lead is a neurotoxin that can cause developmental and behavioral problems in kids, among other health issues.
Water systems across Oklahoma and the rest of the country are already surveying for lead service lines - those are the pipes between your house and the water main. That’s because of a 2021 rule revision requiring cities to create an inventory of service lines to target replacement projects for older neighborhoods that need them the most.
The new proposed rule takes that a step further, giving systems a deadline to get the lead out. This will be expensive, and it’s not clear where all the funds will come from. To complete their service line inventories, some Oklahoma systems have already raised water rates. But the goal is lead-free drinking water for everybody.
Oklahoma Executes Phillip Hancock
Oklahoma executed its fourth and final death row inmate of 2023 on Thursday morning.
Phillip Hancock, 59, was executed via lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester and pronounced dead at 11:29 a.m. on Thursday.
The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 3-2 to recommend clemency for Hancock, but Gov. Kevin Stitt rejected the recommendation on the morning of the execution. Stitt has only granted clemency once - in the case of Julius Jones in 2021.
Hancock was found guilty of the 2001 murders of Robert Jett and James Lynch. He claimed he acted in self-defense.
This was the 11th execution in the state since the moratorium on the death penalty ended in 2021.
Oklahoma Fundraising Campaign Aims To Wipe Out Over $76,000 In School Lunch Debt
A fundraiser aims to relieve more than $76-thousand dollars in school lunch debt across the state.
The fundraising campaign would cover overdue cafeteria bills from seven school districts across the state. The largest of them, Stillwater Public Schools, reported over $37,000 in student lunch debt from the previous school year.
The nonprofit news outlet Oklahoma Voice reports, two public school advocacy organizations, the Oklahoma Rural Schools Coalition and Oklahomans for Public Education, started the fundraiser.
The effort comes as school lunch debt is back on the rise in Oklahoma following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Stillwater district has about 1,800 students with a negative balance on school lunch payments this year.
The district also encourages eligible families to apply for free or reduced-price meals.
Christmas Tree On Display In Enid
One of the world's tallest Christmas trees is back in Oklahoma for the holiday season.
The “Christ Tree” is on display in Enid for its third consecutive year.
The tree stands just over 100 feet tall. Organizers say it’s one of the tallest Christmas trees in the world.
An event called “The One” will be held on Saturday in Enid with several holiday-themed activities and a light show.
Organizers say the tree attracts many visitors to the town each year.
_________________
For additional news throughout the day visit our website, KGOU.org and follow us on social media.
We also invite you to subscribe to the KGOU PM NewsBrief.