Owasso board approves operating budget, hires construction manager for fifth‑grade center and OKs virtual‑learning framework

The Owasso Public Schools Board of Education on Monday approved the district's proposed operating budget for fiscal year 2025-26 and took several other votes, including contracting a construction manager for the new Owasso Fifth Grade Elementary Center and adopting a district distance‑learning framework for emergency use.

Superintendent Dr. Margaret Coates told the board the district is moving quickly to begin bond-funded projects after a recent successful bond election. "We are so grateful to the community of Owasso for going to the polls to show their support for Owasso Public Schools," Coates said, and said the district will begin work on projects "this spring."

The budget presentation, given to the board before the vote, laid out revenue and expenditure sources and highlighted several structural details. The finance presenter said general‑fund revenue is behind last year at this point by roughly half a million dollars, largely because a roughly $680,000 textbook payment that arrived in a prior year is being distributed across months this year. The presentation also noted that about 36% of the district's budgeted general‑fund revenue is expected to come from local property taxes and roughly 33% from the state funding formula; health insurance alone represents about 8.5% of general‑fund revenue and federal sources are less than 5%.

Board members were shown enrollment measures used in the state funding formula: the presenter said the district's average daily membership (ADM) is slightly less than 9,800 students and that weighted enrollment (which adds state weights for grade levels, special education, free and reduced eligibility, bilingual services and other factors) is above 15,000.

The budget documents also show that salaries account for the large majority of general‑fund expenditures (the presenter said about 94% of the general‑fund spending is for salaries and benefits, with the remainder for non‑salary items) and include line‑item detail for building, child nutrition and sinking (debt) funds.

Board members approved the operating budget after the presentation. The vote on the budget was recorded as unanimous among members present. The board also approved the treasurer's report for September.

Votes at a glance

- Consent agenda (renewal contracts): Approved by roll call. Vote recorded: Mr. England, Ms. Mills, Mrs. Retman — yes.

- Board election resolution (sets dates for the 2026 school board election and any needed primary): Approved by roll call. Vote recorded: Mr. England, Ms. Mills, Mrs. Retman — yes.

- Hazard mitigation plan (City of Owasso / Owasso Public Schools): Presented for first reading; no final action taken. The plan will return for approval next month as a partnering agreement with the City of Owasso.

- Contract with Nabholz Construction Corporation for construction management services for the Owasso Fifth Grade Elementary Center: Approved. The preconstruction fee is $62,500 and the contract sets the construction management fee at 3.5% of the work after the guaranteed maximum price (GMP) is set, as outlined in the board attachment. Vote recorded: Mr. England, Ms. Mills, Mrs. Retman — yes.

- Owasso Public Schools Distance Learning Framework (virtual instructional plan to be used if an approved emergency virtual day is needed): Approved. The framework was presented as a proactive step in case of severe cyber intrusions or other events that require the technology team to focus on restoring services; the presenter noted a recent law requires state approval for virtual days. Vote recorded: Mr. England, Ms. Mills, Mrs. Retman — yes.

- Treasurer's report for September 2025: Approved by roll call. The presenter said general‑fund revenue is running behind last year because of timing on a textbook payment and that federal reimbursements and building‑fund receipts remain variable. Vote recorded: Mr. England, Ms. Mills, Mrs. Retman — yes.

- Proposed operating budget for fiscal year 2025‑26: Approved by roll call. Vote recorded: Mr. England, Ms. Mills, Mrs. Retman — yes.

- Advertising sponsorship with Inspire Financial (John Warzonic) for the 2025‑26 school year at the football stadium: Approved. Vote recorded: Mr. England, Ms. Mills, Mrs. Retman — yes.

What the board discussed and directed

Board members reviewed policy changes submitted for first reading (policy 1.61) and asked for committee membership clarification; the policy will return to the board for additional action. The City of Owasso hazard mitigation plan was presented to the board for first reading; district staff said the plan is the city's multi‑year FEMA‑style plan and that the district's role is to document how school facilities and operations fit into the community mitigation work. District staff said the full plan is lengthy (the attached document is more than 200 pages) and provided a summary for board review.

District services staff described continued facilities work, roofing projects at multiple campuses, and an opioid‑abatement grant that was initially denied and later restored through an appeal; the restored grant will fund a nurse FTE and supporting materials for drug‑prevention instruction at middle grades.

During public comment, a resident urged the board to update long‑range enrollment and capacity planning and proposed operational adjustments to bus routing and preschool scheduling to increase access to full‑day pre‑K prior to the fifth‑grade center opening.

Why it matters

Approving the operating budget establishes the spending plan the district will use for personnel, student programs and capital maintenance for the coming school year. Selecting a construction manager and beginning preconstruction work are the next steps in executing bond‑funded projects; those contracts commit preconstruction fees and create a fee structure (in this case a 3.5% construction management fee) that will affect the ultimate project cost. Adopting a distance‑learning framework gives the district a reviewed plan to request state approval for virtual days if an emergency (for example a cyberattack) makes in‑person instruction infeasible.

Looking ahead

The board will return policy 1.61 and the City of Owasso hazard mitigation plan for further consideration and expects preconstruction activities to begin for the fifth‑grade center this spring. Staff indicated additional project details and construction schedules will be presented as design and GMP processes progress.