08/27/2017
From Dr. Clark Ogilvie OPS Website
“Welcome Back Rams!”
Wow the school year has begun and there is a lot of excitement in the air for sure! We are nearing a record high 9,800 students and we are still in the process of sorting out who has left the
district versus those who are newly arrived. The word on the street is that Owasso is the place to be—this is evidenced by my count of some 8 new housing additions under construction when I drive around our 70+ square mile school district. People are moving to Owasso for many reasons but most likely because we are seen as a city on the move and that obviously includes a school district on the move as well! I don’t believe it is any secret that if you have a city that is hitting on all cylinders this is usually the case. We have a lot to offer in Owasso as we are close to major transportation arterials as well as jobs, great housing and a great school district!
I often say that it takes an ‘army’ to run a school district of our size. We are the largest employer in the City of Owasso with 1,000+ employees and it takes a lot of coordination and dedication to get things ready for another school year. The great news for our community is that we have assembled one of the most talented and dedicated teaching and support staffs in the State of Oklahoma to accomplish this most important task! They do a great job and as your superintendent I can promise every Owasso citizen that we will have another great school year!
Yes we are facing the same challenges that many school districts are around us as far as dealing with teacher shortages and teaching vacancies to begin the school year—however we have filled all positions and are faring better than most of our neighbors. It is no secret that many of the state’s best teachers are crossing state lines for jobs that provide better salaries and benefits. Owasso Schools are indeed fortunate as we are better able to weather this storm by having one of the best teaching contracts in the State of Oklahoma. The result is that all Owasso students benefit by having the very best teachers our state has to offer in their classrooms. Bottom line, our reputation as a school district is very strong statewide and we take great ‘Ram Pride’ in maintaining that reputation!
In conclusion I am pleased to announce that our school board approved a resolution this month to call our next school bond issue election a little over a month from now on Tuesday, October 10, 2017. This will be another important bond issue for our district as state funds continue to be cut for a third year in a row. Bond funds help offset the pain of those cuts by providing funds for vital functions such as transportation, technology, textbooks and construction that usually come from general operating funds. This frees up those funds to be used for hiring new teachers and providing competitive teaching salaries. This bond issue will be the largest in our district’s history at 57 million dollars! It will include a 9th elementary school as well as a new science wing on the high school campus along with 3 new F-5 rated safe-room gymnasiums and numerous improvements throughout the district.
Please make a note to VOTE on Tuesday October 10th and as always, GO RAMS!!!
