Deer Creek board approves calling $153.48 million bond election to expand high school, athletics and facilities

The Deer Creek Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously to authorize a special election on a $153,480,000 bond package that district leaders say is designed to address fast growth and add classroom, athletic and maintenance capacity.

Superintendent Dr. Cordell Perez and student representative Peyton Rose presented the package, which they said responds to a district enrollment jump from about 5,600 in 2015 to roughly 8,200 currently and planning projections through 2034. "Because of the growth and everything, we decided to make a Deer Creek master plan," Rose said during the presentation.

Under the proposal the district would fund several major projects, including a new academic building on the high school campus that architects estimate will add 44 classrooms, new science labs and a cafeteria sized for 1,000 students. Perez described that project as the anchor of the master plan and estimated it would cost nearly $95 million. Other items in the package include a performing-arts expansion (about $12 million), a maintenance/warehouse facility (about $4 million) and an indoor practice field (about $32 million).

Perez said the high school currently enrolls just over 2,300 students in a building designed for about 2,200 and that the master-plan approach makes room for future connections and renovations. "Our cafeteria is ridiculously undersized for the amount of students that we have," Perez said, explaining why phased construction was chosen over an immediate, full renovation.

School leaders said some projects in the plan are intended to reduce safety risks associated with students traveling between scattered campus buildings, and to create parity across facilities as new schools open. The presentation included a timeline for outreach and an election date presented to the board as Feb. 10.

Board members voted 4–0 to place the bond question on the ballot. Perez and staff said if voters approve the measure, the district will begin broader community outreach after winter break, including presentations to PTOs and booster clubs.

The board did not promise specific construction schedules or contractor selections; the presentation said designs and detailed costs would be developed should voters approve the bond.

Next steps: the board authorized the call for a special election; staff will continue community outreach and finalize bonding documents if the measure moves forward.