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Crooked Oak officials and residents urge county to delay jail land purchase; commissioners defer vote
Summary
School leaders and parents urged Oklahoma County commissioners to pause action on a proposed jail site adjacent to Crooked Oak athletic fields, citing student safety and equity concerns; the commission deferred action on the purchase agreement until Monday to allow further review and for an absent commissioner to participate.
Commissioners for Oklahoma County on a motion approved a two-week deferment of a real estate purchase agreement involving Allen Contracting and the Oklahoma County Public Buildings Authority after extended public comment from Crooked Oak Public Schools officials and community members. The deferment came after speakers said the proposed jail site would sit next to recently acquired school athletic property and could harm students’ welfare and participation.
The Crooked Oak superintendent, Bridal Richards, told the commission she and other school leaders had been discussing a possible land swap and said, “it’s very unfair to put a jail on the backs of poor minority students, which our school is.” Richards said Crooked Oak purchased about 10 acres off Southeast 20 Second for athletic facilities after voters approved a $25,000,000 bond in September 2023 and asked the county to postpone action while the district and new commissioners can continue discussions.
School staff and parents amplified those concerns during citizen participation. Laura Knight, identified as Crooked Oak High School principal, said games and student travel to off-campus fields make proximity to a jail “worrying” for parents. Tracy Morales, family coordinator, said recent federal enforcement operations heighten community fears about bringing a detention facility adjacent to families who include noncitizens. Several speakers asked the commission to table the agenda item so district and county officials could negotiate.
Commissioner Jason Lowe argued the county must be prudent with taxpayer funds and said a purchase price of $6,000,000 and a $250,000 earnest-money exposure weighed in favor of pausing the deal; Lowe moved to rescind the purchase agreement before withdrawing that motion and supporting postponement. Another commissioner noted a verbal agreement from the seller to postpone closing for two weeks; the commission then voted to defer consideration until Monday so Commissioner Miles Davidson, who was at a conference, could participate.
Discussion at the meeting also touched on legal and logistical questions raised by speakers. Richards said the law requires a 1,200-foot separation between certain facilities and school property and that Crooked Oak’s field is approximately that distance; she said the district could pursue legislative changes if necessary. Commissioners and speakers disagreed about whether prior conversations about a land swap had been firm commitments or preliminary negotiations.
The commission’s deferment does not change existing earnest-money obligations; speakers warned the county could forfeit earnest money if the purchase failed and asked the board to weigh the community and equity impacts alongside budgetary concerns. The commission set the item for reconsideration at a Monday meeting so all commissioners can be present and additional information can be provided.
