| Okmulgee County election board workers are gearing up for the polls to be open Tuesday. So far, over 100 voters have cast absentee ballots with the county election board. Henryetta voters will be deciding the fate of a $9.6 million bond issue. That covers everything from repairs to the school roofs to constructing two new buildings and starting a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) program. | |
| School leaders have been promoting the bond issue during the past month through a series of public meetings and flyers sent to homes throughout the district. At a recent meeting with parents, high school principal Scott Bein explained the schools need bonds because the state funding is not enough to build the new classrooms or add programs such as STEM. He said the buildings need to, "be looked as tools for us." One of the benefits would be the inclusion of a safe room in each for students. "It would serve as a shelter for the entire community." |  Students at Henryetta high school are currently using computers with operating systems that are seven to ten years out of date. |
| Bein said school currently has a problem with textbooks out of date and not enough books for students. "Current text books don't meet the CORE or state standards," he explained. "It's not fair to our children." "If we pass this bond, we will be in a position Henryetta will offer educational opportunities around us that no one else can." "This will transform the Henryetta schools," superintendent Dwayne Noble said. "The kids will be testing high, we will keep the students engaged all through high school. | |
| Henryetta resident Bobbie Seeley pointed out the bond issue, "would have a negative impact on the community. Property owners taxes will increase 27 percent. Property values will go down." She went on to say the town is dying and a large part of the community is composed of elderly residents. | |
See what the bond issue would fund here. | "If your town is dying, you must make a decision as to how to save it," replied the high school principal. "If you don't have an educated populace, companies don't come." Andy Davis, the financial advisor for the school, pointed out there are some old bond issues going off the tax rolls now and property taxes have dropped about 10 percent, "The bonds sold now are less than 1 percent which is a cheap rate," he added. Davis went on to warn that if the school waited ten more years to get the money, the interest rate could be from 12 to 15 percent. "We are hedging against inflation. If the bond issue passes, the school will see groundbreaking for the new buildings in around seven months. Classes are projected to be open for the 2016-17 school year. |
