GROVE, Oklahoma – Grove school officials will propose a third bond issue to voters on August 27.
Up for vote is a $9.8 million tax-exempt bond earmarked for maintenance. If passed, the bond will continue a 2015 bond that provided furniture and other amenities for the new performing arts center. That bond is scheduled to go off the books in June 2025.
“This bond is intended to meet our immediate needs without increasing taxes.”
Grove Superintendent Pat Dodson
“We listened to people after the last bond failed – so we made some changes to address our maintenance problems – without a tax increase,” Dodson said.
Early voting for the special bond began Wednesday. Registered voters can vote now and Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Delaware County Election Board in Jay.
Voters rejected two previous multimillion-dollar bond requests that would have built new buildings to alleviate school overcrowding and address maintenance problems. Grove Schools, the largest school district in Ottawa and Delaware counties, has about 2,500 students across its five campuses.
If the motion is approved, the majority of the bond money will be used to replace new roofs on the elementary and high school campuses, install new flooring on the high school campus, remodel playgrounds for children with disabilities, and repair restrooms. The parking lot next to the Performing Arts Center will also be expanded to provide additional and safer parking.
“When it rains, some teachers have to put buckets in their classrooms, and others have lesson plans, and students’ work gets destroyed by the water,” Dodson said.
A tour of the 25-year-old high school reveals missing ceiling tiles and floors repaired with gray duct tape due to persistent leaks. Teachers have posted photos on social media sites of buckets and tubs in their classrooms catching water dripping from ceiling tiles.
The school is still struggling with several issues, including significant maintenance problems that could have been addressed if the previous bonds were approved, but Dodson said the school has decided to address what can be fixed without raising taxes – starting with the roofs on the lower elementary and high school campuses.
Dodson said he had to push for a bond because the school’s building fund does not provide enough money for capital improvements.
Dodson wants to see a higher turnout of the students’ parents. In the last election, about 20 percent of parents with children who attend Grove schools voted. The bond must be approved by 60 percent.
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