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From The Black Wall Street Times Editorial Board
This editorial board has been unrelenting in its belief that all of our students deserve a world class education. Over the course of this last year, we have seen an unprecedented assault on public education. Specifically, this assault has been aimed at schools and districts serving our Black and brown children.
But the people of Tulsa have an opportunity to fight back and provide Tulsa’s students with the educational resources they need and deserve. On Tuesday, June 8, voters will approve or deny a more than $400 million bond issue in support of Tulsa’s public schools. This bond issue will ensure schools across the city receive critical renovations, upgrades and technological resources – all without raising taxes by a single penny.
The Black Wall Street Times editorial board strongly supports this bond package and urges voters across this district to vote to approve it.
Package details
If passed, the bond will allow the district to directly invest $414 million into schools and classrooms over the next four years. The bond funding is broken down into four distinct categories:
– Safe Learning Environments ($166.8 million)
– Student and Classroom Technologies ($90.7 million)
– Student Transportation ($17.3 million)
– Quality Learning Materials and Programs ($139.3 million)
Roughly $80 million will be directly invested in building renovations, upgrades and equipment purchases for schools across North Tulsa.
Creating learning environments and opportunities that allow our children to thrive should not be political. We find it shameful that the same misguided groups who advocated to slash funding and advance racist education bills like HB 1775 are now fighting against this bond package as well. Our city, our teachers, our families and our students – especially our students of color – deserve far better.
They deserve schools that feel like palaces and educational tools that equip them for careers of the future. They deserve the same investment their often wealthier and Whiter peers in suburban districts enjoy. They deserve nothing less than the overwhelming passage of this bond issue.
We encourage Tulsans to rise above politics and divisiveness and put our children’s futures above all else.
On Tuesday, June 8, Tulsans should vote YES on all four portions of the Tulsa Schools Bond Package.