Voters came out strong Tuesday in support of the $609 million Tulsa Public Schools bond package. Now the district will plan how to spend it.
It’s too early to say which of the projects will come first, Superintendent Ebony Johnson said. But she committed Wednesday to keeping the public updated as a timeline shapes up, especially for big draws like driver’s education, career academies and uniforms.
The last bond funded projects for over six years — with some coming to fruition in the fall 2026 semester.
The district will establish a Citizens Oversight Committee in the coming months, a group of Tulsans who will monitor how the bond money is spent and review any changes to projects.
“We’re gonna be much more communicative about the process,” Johnson said. “We’ll be even more vocal and transparent about, here’s what you asked for, here’s what’s being done.”
To start financing bond-funded projects — like building repairs or reinstating driver’s education — the district will need to sell those projects as municipal bonds. They’ll collect bids and sell them, freeing up dollars for the projects voters approved Tuesday.
The bond funds will trickle in as the district navigates financial headwinds caused by declining enrollment and the loss of federal dollars.
Bond revenue cannot prevent further cuts to staff — it cannot be used for salaries or staff pay. But projects approved by voters will renovate buildings and schools, areas possibly affected if the district moves to “consider school site footprint,” as forecasted in a March board meeting.
“We are looking at every single area of our district to ensure that we have an efficient district to serve the number of students that we have, to continue the academic growth that we need,” Johnson said. “All things are definitely being discussed, we’ve not landed anywhere.”
Until the state election board certifies election results, the district also cannot put an exact date on shifts to its school board.
Sitting board member E’Lena Ashley lost her bid for reelection Tuesday, earning only 36% of the vote. Her opponent, former Tulsa City Councilor Connie Dodson, says she’ll take office at the next regular board meeting May 4, 2026. The other contested seat on the ballot, District 7, will continue to be held by incumbent Susan Lamkin.
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