Tulsa board meeting, Sep 21, 2026
2 h 53 min · 3 public speakers
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We have no link to this meeting's video that opens at a second, so nothing here can jump to a moment. Video length 2 h 53 min.
- Who spoke · first speaks at
- Calvin MonizVice PRESIDENT
- Connie DodsonBoard member
- John CroisantBoard member
- Kyra CarbyBoard member
- Sarah SmithBoard member
- Stacey WoolleyBoard member
- Susan LamkinPRESIDENT
What happened
What happened at this meeting
Tulsa superintendent recommends closing 14 elementary schools, 2 middle schools and alternative program
- Earlier, the board heard a goal monitoring report and a fiscal year '26 end-of-year finance report, and Susan Lamkin announced that the consent agenda passed.
- The superintendent recommended that the board approve closing 14 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 1 alternative program, saying the proposal would bring the district to 61 sites.
- A district staff member said $11.1 million would come from the proposed closures, with $8.5 million in staffing plan savings and $2.6 million in reduced district operational costs.
- Board President Susan Lamkin said the board would consider adoption of the recommendations at the October 19th, 2026 board meeting.
Item by item (11)
- Opening and agenda changes
- Susan Lamkin opened the meeting with a land acknowledgment and said a quorum was present.
- The Central High School Junior ROTC Color Guard led the Pledge of Allegiance.
- A staff member said several employees listed on agenda item E12 should be listed on agenda item E11 for certified adjunct teachers, and that no minutes were submitted for approval.
- Consent agenda
- Susan Lamkin called for a motion and a vote on the consent agenda.
- Susan Lamkin announced that the consent agenda passed.
- Postsecondary readiness goal monitoring report
- A staff member said the percentage of 10th through 12th graders meeting assessment requirements for concurrent enrollment rose to 23.8% in 2025, up from 23.3% last year, toward a 2027 goal of 32%.
- A staff member said the strategies seen at Edison are being scaled across the entire district, including training for core teachers.
- Fiscal year end-of-year finance report
- The chief financial officer said the district spent $369 million in the general fund and ended FY26 with a fund balance of $74.6 million, a decrease from FY25 by $12.2 million.
- Asked by John Croisant about administrative costs, the chief financial officer said the figure was 4.3% in FY26.
- Board members asked about teacher attrition, transportation and utility costs, and a staff member said utilities were up 25 to 30% over the prior year.
- Public comment on the action agenda
- A speaker at public comment said the recommendation would treat symptoms and raised state funding for public schools.
- Another speaker at public comment, who said they served on the Long Range Planning Committee, said they supported the plan.
- Bond Oversight Committee policy revision
- Susan Lamkin said the revision to Policy 8205 was a first consideration and would be voted on at the October 5th, 2026 meeting.
- Calvin Moniz said one change would expand the policy's purpose beyond capital programs, and another would have the board approve all committee members, not just the 7 nominated.
- Financial sustainability recommendations and school closures
- The superintendent said the board resolution asked for recommendations identifying at least $12 million in financial savings, and recommended closing 14 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 1 alternative program.
- A presenter said district enrollment was 31,702 students as of that morning, compared with last year's October 1 count of 32,450.
- Asked by Connie Dodson about job losses, a staff member said that if attrition patterns remain the same, the attrition rate will exceed the potentially impacted employees.
- Receipt of superintendent's recommendations
- Susan Lamkin called for a vote to approve receipt of the superintendent's recommendations in response to the board's July 27th, 2026 resolution.
- Stacey Woolley said the vote was not an action approving the recommendations.
- Board member reports
- John Croisant said Webster won its first football game in almost 48 games and that Edison was 3-0.
- Calvin Moniz thanked the superintendent for speaking at a Class of '71 reunion.
- Citizens' comments
- A speaker at public comment raised state funding of public schools and tax dollars going to private school parents.
- Superintendent's report
- A staff member said the superintendent's remarks are available on the superintendent's Facebook page and the Tulsa Public Schools YouTube page.
Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.
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