Tulsa Public Schools is plotting out the next five years — and how much funding to ask for in the next school bond vote.
Through December, TPS leadership is hosting a series of listening sessions and sharing surveys to develop the first strategic plan of Superintendent Ebony Johnson’s tenure, with goals for 2027 to 2032.
The listening sessions so far have been sparsely attended, with more TPS staff and volunteers in the audience than community members. But the district says there are good reasons to show up and pay attention.
“We are talking about very consequential decisions that will impact the experience of nearly 40,000 students and staff members every day,” said Sean Berkstresser, chief strategy officer at TPS.
Strategic plans set a district’s standards for a period of time. The current TPS plan, Pathways to Opportunity, prioritizes student performance on state assessments in English language arts and increasing the number of graduates earning college credit or credentials.
It also sets expectations for equity across the district, including raising the number of multilingual staff and staff of color, decreasing suspension rates for Black students and those with disabilities and increasing the number of students evaluated for special education services.
TPS gives updates on select goals and guardrails at monthly board meetings. Progress in these areas shapes 70% of the superintendent’s evaluation by the board.
Through November, TPS is asking for input on the district’s “biggest challenges and opportunities” in surveys and continued community conversations. Next, TPS says, that input will be used through the spring to decide the district’s 2032 goals and the strategies to get there.
The district expects to share a draft of the new strategic plan next summer.
Simultaneously, TPS is promoting its spring 2026 bond vote at these listening sessions. Each meeting opened with a video on the district’s $414 million 2021 bond package, which revamped school sites, brought new technology to the district and expanded STEM programs.
One of the district’s recent surveys asks for input about potential bond issues, specifically sourcing “ideas and priorities for what should be included.”
The board has not yet approved a bond package or set an election date, though two board seats — E’lena Ashley’s District 4 seat and Susan Lamkin’s District 7 seat — will be on the ballot next April.
Several other school districts are seeking similar feedback right now. Owasso Public Schools’ strategic plan expires in 2028, and the district is currently collecting responses to an annual improvement survey. Bixby Public Schools’ strategic plan expires in a few months, and its replacement will be announced soon.
Upcoming TPS listening sessions
- Oct. 29, virtual, 5:30-7 p.m.
- Nov. 3, Education Service Center, 3027 S. New Haven Ave., 7-8 p.m.
- Nov. 13, virtual, 5:30-7 p.m.
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