The Tulsa Boys' Home has served nearly 12,000 children in 98 years

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Sand Springs Rotary Club and the Sand Springs United Methodist Church hosted a nonprofit showcase this past Thursday and twenty-nine local organizations participated. The free public event included free food and door prizes to help bring public awareness and attention to the organizations and the opportunities for community involvement. One of those organizations is the Tulsa Boys' Home.

The Tulsa Boys’ Home was first established in 1918 as an orphanage, and since then has cared for nearly 12,000 children and young people. The residential treatment facility currently is home to 64 boys, ages 11 through 18, who struggle with serious emotional, behavioral, and drug problems.

The majority of the boys in the home are placed by the Department of Human Services, though roughly a third are placed by parents and legal guardians. The average length of stay is ten months, but the facility staff work hard to help the boys transition well upon aging out.

The philosophy of the home is “the belief that most of the emotional and behavioral problems (of the boys) are caused by painful past events or a lack of a safe, structured, supportive, and nurturing environment, with consistency, clear limits, and boundaries.”

The program focuses on addressing the individual, the group, and the family, while including life skills training, character education, and employment opportunities. The home has 24-hour supervision with licensed psychologists and psychiatrists on staff.

“Essentially, Tulsa Boys’ Home is about healing broken hearts and broken homes, giving young boys a sense of hope for a positive future that they perhaps never thought possible.”

The facility boasts a swimming pool, recreation hall, gymnasium, tennis court, weight room, baseball field, football/soccer field, ceramics shop, fishing ponds, running track, hiking fields, and other activities. It also is home to a therapeutic equine program that brings retired race horses and quarter horses to the facility for the boys’ attention and care, aiding in the healing process.

The Home offers hour-long “Hope Tours” to those interested in finding out more about the facility and operation. The Home welcomes volunteers, donations, and admission applications.

www.tulsaboyshome.org

Sand Springs Pilot Club, serving the community since 1954

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Sand Springs Rotary Club and the Sand Springs United Methodist Church hosted a nonprofit showcase this past Thursday and twenty-nine local organizations participated. The free public event included free food and door prizes to help bring public awareness and attention to the organizations and the opportunities for community involvement. One of those organizations is the Sand Springs Pilot Club.

Pilot International was founded by Elizabeth Leonard in Macon, Georgia in 1921, and has since grown to include more than 7,500 members in nearly 400 clubs across the globe. One of those clubs is located right here in Sand Springs.

The Sand Springs Pilot Club was first chartered in 1954 and currently meets twice monthly for lunch and to learn about the needs of the community and make plans for meeting those needs.

The club is heavily involved in Sand Springs Public Schools as well as meeting other local needs. Members holds a weekly reading program at Garfield Elementary School, help fund school projects, and give scholarships annually to Charles Page High School students. They also sponsor one girl per year to attend The American Legion Auxiliary Girls State—a nonpartisan program that teaches young women about responsible citizenship and love for God and Country.

Another way the club contributes to the community is with Brain Minders. Pilot Club volunteers visit local elementary schools and daycare centers to teach children about the importance of using proper safety equipment when riding bikes, skateboards, etc.

The club also makes donations to Sand Springs Community Services, Senior Celebration, Sertoma Fireworks Event, Special Olympics, and more.

The local chapter meets on the first and third Thursdays of each month at noon at Crescent Café. For more information, visit www.pilotclubcares.org.

Rotary Club and Parks Department receive awards, City approves OneVoice Legislative Agenda

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Sand Springs City Council met in a regular monthly meeting Monday evening at City Hall and approved several City ordinances and resolutions. Only nine citizens showed up to the public event. 

Mayor Mike Burdge presented a Mayoral Proclamation recognizing the Sand Springs Rotary Club for their contribution toward the Rotary Super Splash pad in Case Community Park. "It was great working with Parks, and we're thrilled with how the project turned out," said a representative from the Rotary Club.

City Council unanimously approved a specific use permit allowing the construction of the new Public Safety facility to be constructed in the Sheffield Crossing development. The facility will house the new Police Headquarters, Fire Station, Training/Conference areas, and a Municipal Jail. The jail is a simple local lockup similar to what's already located in downtown, but slightly larger. A special use permit is a standard requirement for any City jail and the proposed location received little-to-no objection from abutting property owners. 

Council unanimously voted to support the 2017 OneVoice Regional Legislative Agenda. The seven-page agenda represents the City and surrounding area's priorities for the upcoming legislative session and what they hope the State and Federal legislatures will focus on. The agenda lays out thirty bullet points in three categories, including: creating an educated and healthy workforce, building infrastructure critical to business, and ensuring a prosperous economy. 

SEE RELATED: OneVoice Regional Legislative Agenda

Council unanimously voted to approve an ordinance allowing the use of three-year rabies immunizations. Existing ordinance require an annual vaccine for dogs and cats within the City limits, but some veterinarians have begun use of a three-year vaccine that previously wouldn't have been sufficient from a legal standpoint. Pet owners may now make use of either form of vaccine.

Council unanimously voted to affirm two abandoned and dilapidated properties on the North side of the river as public nuisances, clearing the way for their demolition. The properties are located at 514 1/2 N. Washington Ave., and 521 N. Lincoln Ave.

Council unanimously voted to authorize the transfer of property located at 320 N. Lincoln Ave. This allows the City to sell or convey the property. The land is currently being looked at by an anonymous local technical school program that wants to use the property for a housing construction project. The property is now declared as surplus and neighbors have thirty days to protest its use in such a manner, if they so desire.

Consent Agenda, unanimously approved 7-0-0

Council approved a contract with R.L. Shears Company to conduct a sidewalk inventory and prepare a pedestrian improvements plan for the South side of the river. The City previously contracted with Shears Company for a similar project on the North side of the river, using grant funding from the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust. The South-side project will also be funded with a TSET grant of $49,880. 

Council approved resolution 17-10, redirecting $60,000 from the Economic Development Capitol Fund to the Morrow Road Widening project. The section of Morrow Road from Highway 97 to Broad Street will be expanded from two to three lanes in preparation for the construction of the Sheffield Crossing development and the future City Public Safety Facility. The City has contracted with Craig & Keithline, Inc. for the project. 

Council authorized an expenditure of up-to $30,369.25 to Garland's Backhoe Service, Inc. for a BPS Water Line Relocation project along Highway 51. As part of the same project, Council approved expenditure of up-to $67,960 to Tomcat Consultants, LLC. for the rental of temporary portable water tanks for six months while the Highway 51 Standpipe is replaced. 

Council approved an additional $2,700 payment to Nova Painting, LLC to the existing $219,100 contract for sandblasting and painting of the Prue Road water tower. 

Council approved expenses up-to $82,000 payable to Tetra Tech, Inc. for the Northside Water Distribution Disinfection System Improvement project.

In Other News:

Sand Springs citizen Gregory Fisher was recently named by Governor Mary Fallin to the Oklahoma 9-1-1 Management Authority. He is filling a newly created position and will serve as a representative of Sand Springs. 

The Canyons at Blackjack Ridge restaurant is now open from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. seven days a week.

City offices will be closed November 24th through 25th due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

The Chandler Park Lights on the Hill festival begins November 25th.

The Sand Springs Festival of Lights Christmas Parade is currently scheduled for December 2nd. There is currently no word on if the Chamber of Commerce will reschedule the event should the Sandite Football team win their playoff game Friday night. Last year the Charles Page High School Football team won their semi-final playoff game and qualified for the State Championship for the first time in 49 years. The Chamber rescheduled the Parade for that Saturday so as to not conflict with the historic game. The Sandites are once again in the semi-finals Friday and the State Championship game is once again on the same night as the parade. The theme for this year's parade is "All American Christmas" due to 2016 being both a Presidential Election year and an Olympic year.

The Sand Springs Community Theater will be putting on a free play on December 4th at the Central Ninth Grade Center. "Tomato Plant Girl" recently won its category in a competition in Stillwater and will be moving on to the Regional performance in Lafayette, Louisiana in April. The December performance will be free, but will also be taking cash donations for the April trip, as well as canned food donations for the Sand Springs Community Services. 

The Sand Springs Parks Department recently won an award for their renovation of the Jerry Adair Baseball Park following tornado damage in 2015. The award recognizes both the quality of the renovation as well as the timeliness. 

The Food for Fines amnesty day the City recently implemented saw more than 291 participants, more than 100 of whom had warrants recalled as a result of their canned food donations. The day began at 8:00 a.m. with people lined up waiting, and the two City workers involved worked till 7:30 p.m. with no lunch and no breaks. The City doesn't yet have numbers on loss/gain of revenue, but considers the event to be a large success. 

OneVoice Regional Legislative Agenda

2017 Regional Legislative Agenda

State Priorities

EDUCATED AND HEALTHY WORKFORCE

• Address the Teacher Shortage
  • Improve the ability of Oklahoma’s Pre-K-12 public schools to attract and retain effective career teachers through policies designed to increase the state’s pool of qualified teachers and improve teachers’ job satisfaction. This should include ensuring competitive teacher pay; incentivizing education for aspiring teachers; eliminating barriers for alternative certification, special education and returning retired teachers; ensuring low student-teacher ratios; and supporting professional development. Oklahoma’s ability to fill its growing teacher shortage with quality, effective teachers is crucial to the college and career success of its students and the sustainability of its workforce.
• Behavioral Health Services
  • Expand behavioral health and substance abuse services that improve workforce efficiency, boost public safety, create efficiencies in state spending and help additional Oklahomans suffering from behavioral health issues. This should include increasing funding for the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services; expanding mental health and drug courts to decrease unnecessary incarcerations; preparing judicial districts to enact the Labor Commissioner Mark Costello Act, with adequate funding for new assisted outpatient treatment; and expanding the use of assisted outpatient treatment by broadening the definition of who can petition courts to seek an order for outpatient treatment.
• Expand Insure Oklahoma
  • Expand Insure Oklahoma and pass the Medicaid Rebalancing Act to reduce the number of uninsured Oklahomans by accepting federal funds. This will improve the health of Oklahoma’s workforce, strengthen behavioral health services and create sustainable jobs in rural and urban areas — all of which are paramount to an economically viable Oklahoma.
• Healthcare Workforce Expansion
  • Address current and future healthcare workforce needs in urban and rural Oklahoma through the following means: 1) Use all available state and federal resources to support and expand Teaching Health Center related programs, including by expanding the Oklahoma Hospital Residency Training Act to include community-based training; 2) Support the Physician Manpower Training Commission, which is uniquely situated to serve as a valuable resource on provider workforce issues; 3) Support reforms that will allow Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants with appropriate levels of training and experience to practice to the full extent of their license without the physical presence of a supervising physician; and 4) Support efforts to expand the availability, funding and utilization of telehealth services in a manner that enhances locally-provided healthcare services.
• Oppose School Vouchers
  • Oppose school vouchers and any programs directing public funds to private schools, including Education Savings Accounts and private school tax credits. Taxpayer money should instead be spent on improving public schools, where those funds can be used more effectively to improve academic outcomes for more students and maintain the strength of local school districts. 
• Restore Education Funding
  • Safeguard current funding for Oklahoma’s education institutions and resolve to restore funding levels to their pre-Recession highs relative to enrollment. Long-term trends of reduced funding for Pre-K-12, higher education and CareerTech have curtailed the ability of Oklahoma’s education systems to produce an educated workforce, making the state less competitive for new and expanding businesses and damaging its reputation around the world as a quality place to live, work and build a business. Oklahoma must make up ground to ensure an economically vibrant state.

BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE CRITICAL TO BUSINESS

• Defend Existing Road Funding and Dedicate Motor Vehicle Fees
  • Defend all existing road funding; prevent any diversion of monies; and support increased funding for transportation by developing an adequate, comprehensive funding strategy and financing plan to broaden the sources of funds and increase the total amount going to transportation statewide to support the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s Eight Year Plan, the County Improvement for Roads and Bridges Five Year Plan, the municipal Street and Alley Fund and the construction and operation of Oklahoma’s planned weigh stations. Support moving the remaining 25% of motor vehicle fees, which currently go into the state general revenue fund, to transportation priority areas which may include state highways, city and county roads and bridges, and public transit. Support the following regional high-priority projects: widening of I-44 from I-244 east to the Will Rogers Turnpike; widening I-44 from the Arkansas River west to I-244 (Red Fork Expressway); expansion of U.S. 169 to six lanes north to State Highway 20; realignment of Highway 20 from U.S. 169 to Claremore; construction of a four-lane Port Road on Highway 266 from U.S. 169 to the Port of Catoosa, and from the Port of Catoosa to I-44; and expansion of US-75 to six lanes from State Highway 11 to State Highway 67.
• Gilcrease Expressway
  • Support the completion of the Gilcrease Expressway from I-44 to US-412/Edison as a part of the Oklahoma Driving Forward initiative through a funding partnership with the City of Tulsa, Tulsa County, INCOG, Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Oklahoma Turnpike Authority and tribal governments to expedite this long overdue transportation project.

ENSURING A PROSPEROUS ECONOMY

• Criminal Justice Reform
  • Support sentencing reforms and rehabilitation programs that enable nonviolent offenders to reenter the workforce faster and reduce the financial strain on Oklahoma’s criminal justice system. Overly-punitive measures for drug users and other nonviolent offenders have given Oklahoma one of the nation’s highest incarceration rates, contributing to workforce shortages, harming economic growth and overburdening taxpayers. A stronger focus on rehabilitation would reduce recidivism, lessen the burden on prisons and safety net programs and enable more ex-offenders to contribute meaningfully to Oklahoma’s economy.
• Economic Incentives
  • Support tax credits, exemptions, and incentives that provide an economic return to the state of Oklahoma, maintain our competitiveness in business attraction and retention, and increase capital investment. Several programs proposed for review in the first year of the Oklahoma Incentive Evaluation Commission are critical to our state’s competitiveness and should be protected, including:
    • a. Five Year Ad Valorem Exemption
    • b. Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit
    • c. Aerospace Engineer Tax Credit
    • d. Aerospace Engineer Tax Credit – Tuition Reimbursement and Compensation Paid
    • e. Quality Events Program
    • f. Film Enhancement Rebate
• Fund OCAST (Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology)
  • Maintain OCAST’s annual budget at its Fiscal Year 2017 level. The state has lost more than $600 million in potential public and private investment as a result of reduced funding for OCAST over the last five years. This funding assists Oklahoma in four vital areas: (1) research and development funding for businesses & universities, (2) two- and four-year college internship opportunities, (3) manufacturing support, and (4) early-stage funding for start-up businesses. This funding allows Oklahoma communities to attract and retain high-quality STEM businesses and critical college talent, which will encourage growth and expansion in these target industries.
• Improved Business Climate for Oil and Gas Production
  • Oklahoma’s combination of abundant energy resources and an entrepreneurial people has resulted in some of the lowest energy costs of any state in the nation. To preserve and maintain our position as a leading oil and gas producing state, and to protect the important economic impact of oil and gas production to all Oklahomans, we support efforts to open all geologic formations in Oklahoma to horizontal drilling. We support an Oklahoma energy policy that provides a clear regulatory environment and oppose unnecessary and burdensome regulations.
• Municipal Funding Diversification
  • Support legislation to preserve and diversify sources of revenue available to municipalities and reduce the volatility associated with a single source for revenue. Key initiatives include diversifying revenue for funding public safety agencies, streets, and other infrastructure improvements; and preserving and strengthening cities’ authority to promote economic development activities within their borders.
• Self-Determination in Facility Firearm Policies
  • While acknowledging the rights granted by the Second Amendment, protect the current law giving venue owners, event operators, and recreational facilities the authority to control firearm policies on property they manage. Removing this control would endanger Oklahoma’s ability to attract events that bring thousands of visitors and millions of dollars into our economy each year. Many events—especially in youth and collegiate sports—have non-negotiable firearm policies and removing the controls under current law would limit facility operators’ ability to ensure the safety of their events, increase the cost of providing security, and could subject them to additional liability.
• Support Regional Air Quality Efforts
  • Support and fund regional air quality efforts to avoid federal non-attainment designation and the economic hardship this would create for our region. Tulsa area ozone levels have periodically approached the current EPA standard, and an even tighter standard is anticipated. Continued support for common-sense strategies like the Ozone Advance Program and the development of a local air shed model is critical to assure the most appropriate and cost-effective reduction strategies, and all efforts toward air quality improvement initiatives—both private and public, voluntary and enforceable—should be made as soon as possible. In addition, continued support to increase public CNG fueling infrastructure will help decrease the current level of vehicle emissions, while aligning with the Oklahoma First Energy Plan.

Federal Priorities

EDUCATED AND HEALTHY WORKFORCE

• Graduate Medical Education
  • Through long-term funding authorization, fully fund existing HRSA Teaching Health Center programs at $150,000 per resident and allocate additional resources to double the number of funded THC residency positions nationwide. This will allow for training more homegrown physicians, strengthening the most effective tool for improving Oklahoma’s physician shortage.
• HEA Reauthorization
  • Support the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA) and fully fund federal mandates.
• Long-term Insure Oklahoma waiver reauthorization
  • Encourage flexibility in negotiations to grant a long-term reauthorization of Oklahoma’s Section 1115 waiver for Insure Oklahoma. Uncertainty in the long-term future of Insure Oklahoma has hurt enrollment and resulted in the exclusion of thousands of Oklahomans who would be eligible for coverage even under current requirements.
• Mental Health Reform
  • Support large-scale reform of the national mental health system that elevates the national priority for mental health issues. This includes increasing funding for evidence-based strategies and services; incentivizing assisted outpatient treatment; permitting integration of mental health and substance treatment records with medical records; ensuring complete enactment of the mental health parity law in Medicaid and Medicare; and enhancing behavioral health workforce training.

BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE CRITICAL TO BUSINESS

• Arkansas River Corridor Development
  • Support efforts to expedite the implementation of the Arkansas River Corridor Project for river infrastructure improvements. Allow federal match credit to be accrued for state and local expenditures in order to advance construction activity while preserving the Tulsa region’s access to future federal funding for this federally authorized project.
• McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System
  • Increase Congressional appropriations to address the approximate $180 million in maintenance backlog of MKARNS—50% of which are deemed critical—potentially leading to a shutdown of the waterway over the next 5 years, and the White River Entrance Channel Cut-off problem caused by the tendency of the White and Arkansas Rivers to merge together. Provide the necessary appropriations to deepen the MKARNS to its 12 foot authorized depth, thereby increasing barge productivity by 30%.
• Tulsa’s Levee System
  • Support addressing the critical infrastructure needs with Tulsa's aging levee system, which the Corps of Engineers has designated as one of the 5% highest-risk levee systems in the country. If one fails, it would be catastrophic for homeowners, two nationally strategic oil refineries, and multiple industries currently protected by levee system, and have devastating environmental impacts for our region.

ENSURING A PROSPEROUS ECONOMY

• Accelerate Permitting of Energy Projects
  • Support efforts to accelerate federal permitting for projects necessary to achieve domestic energy independence. Legislative and Administrative efforts should focus on ensuring concurrent permitting for all federally required approvals, approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline, streamlining the process for FERC approval of Liquefied Natural Gas Terminals and interstate pipelines, and permitting of U.S. Petrochemical projects that make fertilizer, polyethylene and other natural gas derived products. These projects would create a boom in the U.S. domestic economy, support job creation, strengthen our trade balance, and increase product security and price stability on a global scale.
• Collection of Online Sales/Use Taxes
  • Support passage of the Marketplace Fairness Act or other federal legislation which will ensure that the sales and use taxes already owed from online purchases are fairly and effectively reported, collected, and remitted.
• Federal Historic Tax Credits
  • Maintain federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits for the restoration of historic buildings. These credits have for 30 years been an important catalyst for incentivizing private investment to preserve our nation’s historically-significant buildings and revitalize the historic cores of American cities. The existing 20-percent income tax credit for certified historic structures and 10 percent credit for certain non-certified historic structures should be preserved.
• Federal Immigration Reform
  • Support comprehensive immigration reform that enables the U.S. to attract the best and brightest talent from around the world. Steps should be taken to secure borders and establish reasonable, affordable and efficient visa policies that empower American businesses to hire essential workers and remove barriers for top talent to work in the U.S. Immediate steps should be taken to address workforce shortages in specialty and technology occupations, including increasing the cap on H-1B visas; and improving H-1B fairness for small and medium employers by lowering application fees and eliminating the lottery-selection process in favor of a needs-based system. Oppose further state legislation related to immigration reform.
• Position Tulsa for F-35 Operations
  • Support the Tulsa Air National Guard Base in positioning the 138th Fighter Wing for selection as an operating location for the next generation fighter aircraft, the F-35 Lightning II. With an economic impact of more than $530 million to the community, the base supports more than 1,200 citizen soldiers and plays a key role in the defense of this nation and the continued vibrancy of the Tulsa region's economy. The Tulsa basing of the F-35 could increase base employment by another five percent.
• Restraint in Labor Regulation Changes:
  • Moderate changes in labor regulations to ensure fairness for both employer and employee and minimize harmful effects on job creation. Recent rulings and interpretations by the Department of Labor and NLRB targeting overtime pay, independent contractors and joint employment status will reduce employers’ hiring capacities; disproportionally harm small businesses, the hospitality industry and the nonprofit sector; increase legal liabilities; and threaten business models that have worked for decades, such as franchising and the legitimate use of independent contractors. These changes represent drastic departures from previous norms and should reversed, pared down or implemented more gradually while protecting existing business models.
• Restrict Federal Rulemaking Authority:
  • Encourage and support members of Congress to restrict federal rulemaking authority by requiring a standardized, comprehensive, and cumulative cost/benefit analysis of the total economic impact of rules, including the effect on jobs, electricity rates and reliability, gasoline prices, energy-intensive manufacturing, small businesses, housing market, power plant closures, agriculture, and state and local governments. The regulating entity should perform the cost/benefit analysis along a standard process which should then be reviewed by at least one independent agency.
• Support Legislation Delaying the Implementation of the EPA 2015 Ozone Standard
  • The Tulsa region’s challenges to avoid the economic burden of non-attainment have resulted in substantial ground-level ozone improvement over the past 25 years. However, even though continued air improvement is foreseeable, the implementation schedule for the EPA’s 2015 ozone standard could cause non-attainment for Tulsa and many metropolitan areas across the nation. EPA regulatory implementation schedules are bound by an outdated law which no longer provides adequate time for air quality improvements to occur before overlapping regulation and nonattainment may occur. Undeniably, good air quality is fundamental to healthy communities and to economic development. However, EPA’s untimely schedule for implementing the October 2015 ozone NAAQS may cause non-attainment status and the far-reaching economic burden we have long sought to avoid.

Hofmeister to hold education town hall Tuesday in Tulsa

SUBMITTED

TULSA (Nov. 10, 2016) – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister will host a town hall meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, at Metropolitan Baptist Church in Tulsa to hear Oklahomans’ thoughts on how to strengthen public education and refocus on meeting the needs of individual students.

The meeting will be the fourth in a series of one-hour town halls enabling the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) to gather input as the agency creates a comprehensive state plan to bolster academic performance for all students and reduce barriers that hold many kids back. OSDE began the town hall series in Duncan and Ada, where more than 400 people attended. Future town hall stops include Enid, Yukon and Muskogee.

Deborah Gist, superintendent of Tulsa Public Schools, will introduce Hofmeister on Tuesday.

OSDE has received support from the community for the event, including promotional efforts by Tulsa Public Schools, Tulsa Regional Chamber of Commerce, surrounding school districts and local parent-teacher organizations.

What: Education Town Hall
When: 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 15
Where:  Metropolitan Baptist Church. 1228 W. Apache St., Tulsa

For more information about the education town halls happening this fall, click here.

Libertarian Party grows by leaps and bounds in 2016 election, sets sights optimistically on 2018

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Libertarianism is on the rise.

The 2016 election has been arguably the most successful election in the history of the Libertarian Party (LP), and not just on the Presidential level. While the unpopularity of both major party candidates sent Gary Johnson to 3% with more than 4 million ballots, general disaffection for establishment politics helped the 45 year old party to record performances in the House, State, and Gubernatorial elections as well.

In Oklahoma specifically, the LP made its way onto the ballot for the first time since 2000 and will retain ballot access into 2018 after Johnson achieved 6% of the Oklahoma vote. 

Sixteen Oklahoma libertarians ran for office in this week's election, and though none won, they polled at an average of 10%. Oklahoma County Clerk candidate Chris Powell had the best performance with 36% of the vote, followed by State Senate District 35 candidate Frank Grove with 35%. House District 39 candidate Clark Duffe carried 23%. At the national level, U.S. Representative District 4 candidate Sevier White carried 4% and District 5 candidate Zachary Knight won 6%. U.S. Senator candidate Robert Murphy won 3% in a five-way race challenging popular incumbent Republican James Lankford.

With incumbent Republican Governor Mary Fallin term-limited, the Libertarians will need to secure at least 2.5% of the vote in 2018 to remain on the ballot for the next Presidential election.

“Looking forward, we don’t really see that 2.5% mark as a barrier to future success. In 2018 and beyond, we’ll be running to win. The Libertarian message has resonated with voters in Oklahoma, and we will work tirelessly to ensure citizens have the opportunity to support principled libertarian candidates seeking office at every level of state government," said Party Chair Tina Kelly in a press release this week.

The LP was officially formed on December 11, 1971 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. By 2016 the LP was the third largest political party in the United States with 411,250 registered voters. The party currently claims to hold 147 local elected offices across the country.

Presidential Campaign History

John Hospers was the first presidential nominee of the LP and Theodora Nathan was selected as VP. Though the 1972 ticket only gained 3,674 votes for tenth place in the general election, they received one electoral vote from a faithless elector, marking the first time in U.S. History a female has received an electoral vote.

In 1976 the party nominated Roger MacBride, the faithless elector from 1972, with running mate David Bergland. The ticket brought home 172,553 votes and finished fourth.

The 1980 ticket set the LP record for the next three decades as Ed Clark and billionaire David Koch brought in 921,128 votes and finished in fourth place. They broke 1% of the popular vote for the first time, a feat that would not be repeated until 2012.

The LP saw massive decline in 1984 with only 228,111 votes for David Bergland and James Lewis, but unsurprisingly due to the funding cut of not having a billionaire on the ticket. It was still an improvement over 1976 and should be considered a victory for the LP.

1988 saw the arrival of Ron Paul on the ticket, arguably the most famous Libertarian (among non-Libertarians) to date. Paul and running mate Andre Marrou took in 431,750 votes. Marrou took over the ticket in 1992 and saw the first legitimate decrease in LP support with 290,087 votes. The rise of the party stagnated from there as Harry Browne headed the ticket in both 1996 and 2000, with Michael Badnarik taking over in 2004.

The LP’s presidential campaign has only grown since 2000 as Badnarik finished with 397,265 and 2008 candidate Bob Barr brought in 523,713.

In 2012 former Republican New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson and Justice Jim Gray waged the most successful campaign to that point, finishing with 1,275,821 votes and 1%, a feat that Johnson shattered in 2016. In a year with declining voter turnout that saw the eventual victor Donald Trump attain less votes than the second place finisher of the last two elections; by the time polls had closed, Johnson and former Republican Governor of Massachusetts William Weld had broken 3% with 4,058,500 votes and third place for the second-straight election. They fell short of their 5% goal, but successfully waged the most successful LP campaign to-date by a wide margin.

U.S. House Campaign History

The party also made their first attempt at the House of Representatives in 1972 and finished 18th with 2,028 votes. That number ticked up to 71,791 in 1976 for seventh place, 64,310 in 1978 for sixth place, and by 1980 was officially the third party with 568,131 votes. Since then, the LP has only slipped to fourth place three times, always behind independent candidates, and has maintained third place in every election since 1996. They broke the 1% mark in 1998 and have done so numerous times since.

To-date, the LP has still not won a house seat, but beat their 2000 record in House campaign votes with 1,713,220 this year. Most successful among the LP were three Arkansas candidates. Kerry Hicks took 25% of the vote in Congressional district 4. Mark West and Steve Isaacson took 23% each in districts 1 and 3, respectively. Of the 75 candidates to run, 42 grossed 5% or more of the vote, twelve took 10% or more, and seven took 15% or more. The all-time best performance for an LP House candidate was Joel Balam who took 31.5% of the vote in Kansas in 2012.

U.S. Senate Campaign History

The first Libertarian attempt at the Senate was waged in 1976 with candidates in nine of the 33 contested seats. In 1994 Scott Grainger attained 6.8% of the vote in Arizona, smashing the previous record of 3.9% set by Montana candidate Larry Dodge. His record was undone in 2000 by Massachusetts candidate Carla Howell with 11.9%. Massachusetts was favorable for Libertarians again in 2002 when Michael E. Cloud brought in 16.6% which stood as the most successful LP Senate campaign till 2016. That year, the LP brought in 1.739% of the vote.

2016 was a record breaking year for the LP with 20 candidates running for Senate attaining 1,700,969 votes. Alaska candidate Joe Miller brought in 30% of the vote, trailing Republican victor Lisa Murkowski by 14%. Miller beat the Democratic candidate by 19%. Two other Libertarians broke 5% in senate elections.

U.S. Gubernatorial Campaign History

The first ever Libertarian attempt at a governorship was in 1976 as Arlan Andrews drew 0.29% of the vote in North Carolina. In 1978 seven candidates competed in gubernatorial elections and Mabel Everett took home 4.6% in New Hampshire. Dick Randolph led seventeen libertarian candidates in 1982 and won 14.9% of Alaska. Randolph owns the most successful LP gubernatorial campaign to-date. Since then, only one other LP candidate has broken 10%; Wisconsin’s Ed Thompson in 2002. This year the LP had candidates in ten out of twelve races and averaged 2.6% of the vote. New Hampshire candidate Max Abramson led the most successful campaign of the season with 4.3%.

It remains to be seen if the Libertarian Party will continue its growth in the next midterm election, but with more Americans identifying as politically independent than at any point in the country’s history, both major parties will likely have their eyes on the Libertarian Party in the years to come.

Sand Springs heavily represented on the ballot, splits from Tulsa County on Commissioner

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

How did Sand Springs compare with Oklahoma as a whole in this election? Local voter turnout was up by 7% over the 2012 election as more than 12,000 voters showed up at the twelve Sand Springs precincts. 

Sandites were overwhelmingly Republican in the Presidential election, averaging 64% support for GOP candidates. Democratic candidates took home 28% of the vote, while Independents and Libertarians each snagged 4%.

Unsurprisingly, the black and gold went 71% to Donald Trump, who only gained 58% of the statewide ballots. This was consistent with the 2012 election when Mitt Romney garnered 70% of the local ballot, though Romney reached 67% in the rest of the State. Liberal leaning Sandites turned away from Hillary Clinton as she drew only 23% compared to 29% for Barrack Obama. Libertarian Gary Johnson earned just over 5% locally, compared to 6% across Oklahoma. Johnson has announced he will not campaign in 2020, but his performance in the polls will allow the future Libertarian candidate automatic ballot access in the next election.

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Precincts in yellow were won by Lloyd Snow, precincts in white were won by Dan Newberry.

U.S. Senator James Lankford overwhelmingly won Sand Springs with 72% of the vote. Democrat Mike Workman took 20%, Libertarian Robert Murphy took 3%, and independents Mark Beard and Sean Braddy both took 2%. The third party candidates drew local support consistent with the Statewide election, but urban centers bumped Workman's support to 29% across the State.

The most heated of the local elections was between two-term District 37 State Senator Dan Newberry and Democratic challenger, former Sand Springs Superintendent Lloyd Snow. Though Newberry won the election by more than 15%, it was far closer in Snow's hometown where he won four of ten precincts and only trailed by 2%. Snow has announced that he does not intend to run for political office again.

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Precincts in yellow were won by Jadine Nollan, precincts in white were won by Dianna Phillips. 

For District 66 State Representative, two-term Republican incumbent Jadine Nollan was aided to a landslide 67% of the vote due to her favorable view in the eyes of most Sandites. Though Democratic challenger Dianna Phillips is also from Sand Springs, she failed to win a single precinct in her hometown. Outside of Sand Springs, the two were neck-and-neck with Nollan getting a slight 4% margin of victory. Within Sand Springs Nollan won all nine precincts with 76% of the vote.

Incumbent Republican Vic Regalado easily won reelection for Tulsa County Sheriff with 66% of the vote in the State and 75% of the Sandite vote. Republican Tulsa County Court Clerk candidate Donald Newberry swept 71% of the Sand Springs vote and 63% of the County.

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Precincts in yellow were won by Josh Turley, precincts in white were won by Karen Keith.

Another local election with major Sand Springs ties was the race for Tulsa County Commissioner for District 2. Democratic incumbent Karen Keith won the County vote by 13%, but Republican challenger Josh Turley won his hometown with 56% of the Sandite vote. Turley swung eight of ten Sand Springs precincts and overwhelmingly locked up the entire West side of the county. Turley has already announced his candidacy for the 2020 election. 

Sand Springs, like the rest of the region, voted to retain all seven justices. The only Justice not to break 60% approval in Sand Springs was Supreme Court Justice Douglas Combs who came in at 58%. He was also approved by the lowest margin of the justices across the ballot. He barely won Precinct 880 with only 51% of the vote, which is located in the Keystone lake area South of the Arkansas River. No justice has ever been removed via ballot in the history of the State. 

State Question 776 was approved by 61% across the State and achieved 69% in Sand Springs.

State Question 777 was rejected by 71% of both the State and Sand Springs.

State Question 779 was rejected by 57% of the State and 61% of Sand Springs.

State Question 780 was approved by 65% of the State and 58% of Sand Springs.

State Question 781 was approved by 62% of the State and 55% of Sand Springs.

State Question 790 was rejected by 60% of the State and 59% of Sand Springs.

State Question 792 was approved by 72% of the State and 68% of Sand Springs.

Incumbents Dan Newberry and Jadine Nollan win third terms, Oklahomans reject SQ 779

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

State and local voters turned out in record-breaking numbers Tuesday afternoon in the conclusion to one of the most bitterly contested Presidential elections in recent memory. Sand Springs precincts saw especially high turnout as this election was close to home for many Sandite voters. Several candidates for State and local government have Sand Springs ties.

Longtime Sand Springs resident Jadine Nollan was reelected to House District 66 for a third term by a large margin. In 2012 she won with 66.8% of the vote and ran unopposed in 2014 to retain her position. Democratic challenger Dianna Phillips, also of Sand Springs, brought in only 32.10% of the vote. 

Incumbent Republican Dan Newberry staved off his Democratic challenger in a battle for the Senate District 37 seat. Former Sand Springs Superintendent Lloyd Snow waged a heated campaign to unseat Newberry, but drew only 40% of the vote. Independent candidate Shawn Ketcher bought in 4%. Newberry was first elected in 2008 with 63% of the vote and was reelected in 2012 by winning the Republican primary with 67% and running unopposed in the general election.

"We thought it'd be much closer, but it isn't," said Snow, in his concession speech. "If you can't run a competitive race with 200 grand working eight hours a day knocking doors, I don't know what will do it..You get what you get. We need more advocates. I've never taken losses to be personal. I'll always be a noisy citizen, but I'll never do this again."

Incumbent Republican Vic Regalado won reelection to the office of Tulsa County Sheriff, handily defeating Democratic challenger Rex Berry with 66% of the vote. Regalado won a special election earlier this year for Stanley Glanz's unexpired term. Regalado holds a Tulsa address, but lives in the Sand Springs Public School district and his kids attend Sand Springs schools.

Democratic incumbent Karen Keith easily fended off Republican challenger Joshua Turley to retain the position of County Commissioner. Keith, a former KJRH television reporter, first won election in 2008. Turley is a lifelong Sand Springs resident and a 24-year veteran of the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office. Keith drew 57% of the vote. 

All seven justices up for retention during this election were retained by an average margin of 36%. Not surprising, as no justice has ever been ousted on the ballot in the history of Oklahoma.

State Question No. 776 passed with moderate support amounting to 60% of the vote. The question amends the State Constitution to affirm the State's right to carry out the death penalty. Its passage will allow the Legislature to designate any method of execution not prohibited by the U.S. Constitution. 

State Question No. 777, the "Right to Farm" amendment was overwhelming defeated with only 28% support. 

State Question No. 779, a constitutional amendment that would have created a 1% sales tax increase to fund raises for teachers, was defeated by a 17% margin. 

State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister issued a statement in response to 779's defeat. "Until we are prepared to take bold action on behalf of public education, we will continue to suffer the consequences, as a greater and greater number of teachers leave the state or exit the profession altogether. I believe Oklahomans support teachers, but they did not want to relieve the Legislature of its responsibility. I will be back before state lawmakers this next legislative session, fighting for kids and a regionally competitive wage for teachers - one that reflects their work as highly trained professionals who change the lives of nearly 70,000 students every day."

State Question No. 780, a criminal justice reform initiative, passed with overwhelming support, as did State Question No. 781, who's passage was conditional on the passage of 780. 780 will reclassify several drug possession and property crimes from felony status to misdemeanor, while 781 will create funding for criminal rehabilitation. 780 passed by 65% and 781 passed by 62%. 

State Question No. 790 was solidly defeated with only 40% support. The bill would have abolished an existing clause in the State Constitution prohibiting the use of public funds for religious purposes. 

State Question No. 792, a law to modernize Oklahoma's liquor laws passed with overwhelming support at 72%. 

Unsurprisingly, Republican nominee Donald Trump easily secured the State's seven electoral votes, though it was by the lowest margin of victory since Bob Dole defeated Bill Clinton in 1996. Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson took 6% of the popular vote as the first third-party candidate on the Oklahoma ballot since 2000. Trump's 23% victory margin was a tad bit behind the 30% cushion enjoyed by the past three Republican nominees, but was still more than enough to defeat Hillary Clinton.

Johnson's 6% was the highest third-party showing since Independent candidate Ross Perot took 10.84% in 1996, and the highest showing for a Libertarian in State history. The Libertarian Party was on the Oklahoma ballot from 1984 through 2000 and never broke the 1% mark.

Hillary Clinton's 35% was the highest mark for a Democrat in Oklahoma since Al Gore took 38% in 2000. She slightly edged out President Obama's percentage, but was significantly behind her husband's 40% in 1996. A Democrat has not won Oklahoma's electors since Lyndon B. Johnson defeated Barry Goldwater in 1964. 

Sand Springs Board of Education discusses recent State Report Cards

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Sand Springs Board of Education met in a regular meeting Monday evening at Charles Page High School and discussed matters of school performance. Special recognition was given to the CPHS varsity softball team, as well as Church That Matters, Inkwell Printing, and David and Jeanie Kvach. 

Head Coach Shelli Brown and the varsity softball team were presented with a Coin of Excellence.

SEE RELATED: Sydney Pennington and Jessica Collins make All-State Fast Pitch team

Members of the Sand Springs Education Association briefly addressed the crowd about the success of the recent Walk For Kids fundraiser benefiting Dayspring Villa, which raised more than $2300 dollars. They also thanked the local Wendy's for a donation of $500. 

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Jeanie and David Kvach were recognized for their recent donation to the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Initiative. David Kvach is the owner of KLO, LLC, KVR Energy L.L.C., and Guardian Energy Consultants, Inc. Jeanie is the Architect and Master Planner for the Sand Springs School District and owner of Kvach & Associates. 

"Dave and I just believe in this district. We've had two kids graduate from this district. One is a doctor, graduated from Yale Medical," said Jeanie. "We specifically wanted to help improve math in the district, so when I heard about this opportunity I told Dave, 'put your money where your mouth is.'"

Pastor, entrepreneur, and Board of Ed member Rusty Gunn accepted recognitions on behalf of his church and business for their donations to the STEM initiative. Church That Matters volunteers regularly host tailgate fundraiser events prior to all Sandite Football home games. At each game they sell hot dogs, burgers, snacks, and more to raise money for the Sandite athletics programs. According to Gunn, they raised more than $12,000 this year and more than $60,000 since they began doing it a few years ago. Gunn's business, Inkwell Printing, also made a donation to the STEM initiative. 

As the Board moved on from recognitions to business, they spent a hefty amount of time discussing the recent A-F Report Cards issued by the State. 

SEE RELATED: State Releases A-F Report Cards: Sand Springs Schools average B-

Charles Page High School received a C-, but according to Superintendent Durkee, that doesn't tell the whole story. Durkee pointed to CPHS's 51.16% poverty rating as an indicator of why the school appears to perform poorly. Sandite Pride verified Durkee's claims with the State Board of Education's Low Income Report for 2015-2016 and the numbers more than check out. 6A schools with poverty rates below 50% average a score of 86.57, whereas schools over 50% averaged only 69.46. 

When judged against schools with equally economically diverse student bodies, Charles Page is actually above average. Ponca City High School, which holds a poverty percentage of 53.59 scored only a 63% compared to Sand Springs's score of 71%. Neighboring Highway 97 rival Sapulpa scored a 63% as well. 

The only school with a poverty rates over 50% to score above a C was Union with an 82%. Just below Sand Springs in poverty is Booker T. Washington, who received a 97%. According to Durkee, "it's impossible to compare apples to apples here." 

Firstly, Booker T. Washington is a four-year school, whereas Charles Page is only for tenth through twelfth grade. In overall student growth, CPHS scored a 58% in Algebra I, compared to a 92% at Booker T. The difference? Booker T.'s score was based on participation of 296 students. Sand Springs only had twelve participants. The majority of Sand Springs students take Algebra I in ninth grade, meaning the dozen participants at CPHS are students who are already struggling with the subject. Indeed, Sand Springs's Central Ninth Grade Center scored a 94% overall and a 90% in Algebra I based on 374 participating students.

Secondly, Booker T. Washington has admission standards and isn't a typical public school. Applicants to the school must score at the 35th percentile or above in both the reading and mathematics components of the State assessments. They must maintain a cumulative GPA at or above 2.50 and must maintain superb attendance with no suspensions. 

"I'm not making an excuse," said Durkee. "It's a reason that we can't ignore. It's hard to compare with a school that allows selection." 

This is the last year for the current standards of A-F report cards, and next year's scores could look very different due to new laws passed in the most recent legislative session. Next year's reports will be based on math, biology, English, reading, and U.S. history.

"Even if Charles Page gets an A+, I will have a hard time celebrating," said Durkee. "There are flaws in the system."

Durkee also discussed the Twin Cities Elementary property that was vacated by SSPS in 2003. "We may want to look seriously at tearing it down." The building is the oldest school in Sand Springs and has had little to no interest from buyers in the last several years. Though the district isn't making any definitive plans one way or another for now, they're considering razing the building and holding on to the property for potential future expansion years down the line.

State Releases A-F Report Cards: Sand Springs Schools average B-

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The State Board of Education released the 2016 A-F Report Cards for all public schools in Oklahoma Thursday, and the average Sand Springs Public School received an 80.87%, or a B-. 

"The report cards released today are likely to be the last using the A-F calculations that have been in effect since the 2012-2013 school year. Under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and a new state law, House Bill 3218, the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) is developing a new school accountability calculation to take effect in the 2017-2018 school year," says a press release from the Department of Education. 

“Our sights are fixed on a stronger school accountability system that will be a more meaningful and accurate measure for Oklahoma schools and districts, one that will better provide contextual information that educators, families and communities need to know about our schools, their academic performance, student growth and progress especially for high-need and at-risk student groups,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister said.

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"Also at today’s meeting, the SBE approved OSDE’s Fiscal Year 2018 budget request of $2.64 billion for common education, which includes an increase of $221 million over the FY 2017 budget. The increase maintains per-student funding to reflect Oklahoma’s student population growth, adding $56.7 million to the school funding formula and restoring funding for the Instructional Materials, Support of Public School Activities and Agency Support for Schools line items," says the release.

Angus Valley Elementary received the highest grade of 97%, with Central Ninth Grade Center being the only other school to receive an A. Charles Page High School received a C-. The Early Childhood Development Center did not receive a grade. 

Grades are based on three criteria. 50% of the grading is based on Student Performance, with Overall Student Growth and Bottom Growth accounting for 25% each. Student Achievement is based on the Oklahoma School Testing Program assessments in grades three through high school. Student Growth is based on annual student learning gains as measured by Oklahoma's standardized assessments in reading and mathematics in grades three through eight, and Algebra I and English II End of Instruction Exams. 

Angus Valley Elementary

Angus Valley, located at 412 West 55th Street, on the South side of town, received a 97%. Angus serves students from Pre-Kindergarten through Fifth Grade. On Student Achievement, the students received a B in all curriculum, including Reading, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. In overall growth they received an A in both Reading and Mathematics. The bottom quarter of students received an 86% on growth. The school maintained an attendance rate greater than 95% for an additional 10 points. The strongest subject for the school was Social Studies with 88% and the weakest subject was Science with 81%. 

Northwoods Fine Arts Academy and Garfield STEAM Academy

Northwoods, located at 1691 Old North Road, in Northeast Sand Springs, and Garfield, located at 701 North Roosevelt Avenue, just north of downtown, were graded together and received a 71%. Northwoods serves students from Kindergarten through Second Grade, and Garfield serves students from Third through Fifth Grades. This will change in the next school year as both schools separate and adopt a K-5 format. On Student Achievement, the students received a C in Reading, a D in Mathematics, and Fs in Science and Social Studies. In overall growth they received a C in Reading and a D in Mathematics. The bottom quarter of students received a 46% on growth. The schools maintained a 95% attendance rate for an additional 10 points. The strongest subject for the schools was Reading with 73% and the weakest subject was Science with 42%. 

Limestone Elementary

Limestone, located at 4201 South Walnut Creek Drive, in South Sand Springs, received an 85%. Limestone serves students from Pre-Kindergarten through Fifth Grade. On Student Achievement, the students received a B in Reading, Cs in Mathematics, and Social Studies, and a D in Science. Overall Student Growth received an A in Reading and a C in Mathematics. The bottom quarter of students received a 58% on growth. The school maintained an attendance rate greater than 95% for an additional 10 points. The strongest subject for the school was Reading with 86% and the weakest subject was Science with 63%.

Pratt Elementary

Pratt, located at 305 West 35th Street, in South Sand Springs, received an 84%. Pratt serves students from Kindergarten through Fifth Grade. On Student Achievement, the students received Bs in Reading and Mathematics, a D in Social Studies, and an F in Science. Overall Student Growth received Bs in both Reading and Mathematics. The bottom quarter of students received a 55% on growth. The school maintained an attendance rate of greater than 95% for an additional 10 points. The strongest subject for the school was Reading at 84% and the weakest subject was Science with 55%.

Clyde Boyde Middle School

Clyde Boyd, located at 305 West 35th Street in South Sand Springs, received a 74%. The school serves students from Sixth through Eighth Grade. On Student Achievement, the students received Cs in Reading and Mathematics, and Fs in Science and Social Studies. Overall Student Growth received Cs in both Reading and Mathematics. The bottom quarter of students received a 50% on growth. The school received 10 bonus points for a 94% attendance rate, a sub-5% dropout rate, and an advanced coursework participation rate greater than 95%. The strongest subject for the school was a tie between Reading and Mathematics at 72%, while the weakest subject was Social Studies at 48%.

Central Ninth Grade Center

CNGC, located at 14 West 4th Street in downtown, received a 94%. On Student Achievement, the students received a B in Mathematics, and did not receive grades on the other subjects due to an insufficient number of students' scores. Overall Student Growth received an A in Mathematics, while the bottom quarter of students received an 80% on growth. The school received 10 bonus points for a 94% attendance rate, a sub-5% dropout rate, and an advanced coursework participation rate greater than 95%. 

Charles Page High School

CPHS, located at 500 North Adams Road, received a 71%. On Student Achievement, the students received a C in English, Ds in Mathematics and U.S. History, and an F in Biology I. Overall Student Growth received a B in English II and an F in Algebra I. The bottom quarter of students received a 60% on growth. The school recorded an 87% for graduation rate, a 65% on EOI performance, a 52% on College Entrance Exams, and a 64% on College Entrance Exam participation. They received 3 bonus points for advanced coursework participation and performance greater than 95% and year-to-year growth. 

Sand Springs Public Schools win lawsuit against Oklahoma Tax Commission

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Sand Springs Public School District joined seven other districts in a lawsuit against the Oklahoma Tax Commission earlier this summer, alleging that the Commission was misappropriating funds associated with House Bill 2244. The plaintiffs won their suit Friday.

The School Board initially went straight to the Oklahoma Supreme Court in hopes of enacting a decision before June 30th, but the Court denied the petition in April, sending it back to the district courts. 

Sand Springs claims a loss of nearly $300,000 since the new law concerning motor vehicle tax revenue took effect in July of 2015. The Board was joined by Altus, Ponca City, Muskogee, Mid-Del, Quapaw, Canton and Lone Wolf Public Schools. 

The lawsuit, led by former Sand Springs Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Gary Watts, did not seek reparations for the lost revenue, but demanded that the Commission correct their allocations going forward. 

HB2244 caps the amount of motor vehicle tax money that education receives at 36.2 percent. Previously, Oklahoma law mandated that the schools were to receive the same amount as the previous year, regardless of actual revenue. If revenue dipped one year, the Commission dipped into the State's share of funding to supplement the schools. HB2244 abolished that clause. 

In months where the revenue wasn't high enough to give schools the same amount they received in previous years, the Commission should have decreased allotments equally between all districts based on what they received the previous year. Instead, the Commission dispersed based on average daily attendance.

Oklahoma County District Judge Patricia Parrish sided with the plaintiffs and ordered the OTC to correct future allocations for all schools. 

Senate Higher Education Committee touts success of concurrent enrollment

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Members of the Senate Education Committee listen to Higher Education Chancellor Glen Johnson discuss concurrent enrollment program successes.

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Oklahoma’s concurrent enrollment tuition waiver program allows qualifying high school juniors and seniors to enroll in college classes before they actually graduate.  Eligible seniors can actually get tuition waivers for up to six credit hours a semester.  The idea is to encourage high school students to jump start their college education while saving their families money.

It’s been more than a decade since the program was created back in 2005, so State Sen. Gary Stanislawski wanted to know how it’s been doing and whether Oklahoma could do more to encourage greater participation.

At his request, the Senate Education Committee met Thursday to take a look at the state’s concurrent enrollment program.  Stanislawski said he was very pleased with the data presented to the committee.

“I wanted to know if it was fulfilling its original mission and what the outcomes have been.  We’ve seen data presented today that tell us it has been a resounding success” said Stanislawski, R-Tulsa.  “I’m very pleased with how well the program has been accepted throughout higher education and in our high schools, and in the growth rate of students participating, saving thousands of dollars while earning college credit.”

Higher Education Chancellor Glen Johnson called the program a game-changer that’s helping more students earn college degrees.  That’s increasingly important because 67 percent of all jobs created in Oklahoma by 2020 will require some college, a long-term certificate or a college degree—37 percent of all jobs created in the state by 2020 will require an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s degree or higher.

“We believe concurrent enrollment is absolutely a critical initiative in terms of driving our major goal, our major agenda item in higher education which is college degree completion,” Johnson said, noting the program offers multiple benefits, including cost savings, reduced time to earn a degree, and higher retention and graduation rates for students who take advantage of concurrent enrollment while still in high school.

Johnson presented data from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education that showed the number of students participating has more than doubled since the program began, from 5,526 to 11,722 ten years later.

The number of credit hours earned increased during that time by 158 percent, and 97 percent of the students that take concurrent enrollment successfully complete the course.

The committee also looked at what could be done to encourage more students to participate in concurrent enrollment, including doing more to help students on free and reduced lunches, as well as addressing out of pocket expenses, such as fees that are not covered by the tuition waiver. 

“I think that’s a barrier for some students,” Stanislawski said.  “While the current budget situation may limit what we can do right now, it needs to be on the radar.  We need to have a plan over the next several years to increase funding in this area to help more students receive a college degree.”

Keystone Chevrolet donates $3000 to SSPS; School Board discusses changes in curriculum and high stakes testing

Board Member Pastor Rusty Gun presents Mike Frizell of Keystone Chevy with the Sandite Spirit Award. (Photo: Scott Emigh).

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Sand Springs Board of Education held their regularly monthly meeting Monday evening at the Charles Page High School Fine Arts Building and presented two awards before beginning regular business. 

Keystone Chevrolet was presented with the Sandite Spirit Award for their recent $3,000 donation to the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics programs in Sand Springs. They had previously donated a year's worth of free oil changes to last year's Teacher of the Year. "All of us (Keystone Chevy owners) are products of public school and want to help contribute," said Managing Partner Mike Frizell. 

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Board of Ed President Mike Mullins presents CNGC teacher Andrea Brice with the Sandite Pacesetter Award. (Photo: Scott Emigh).

Central Ninth Grade teacher Andrea Brice was presented with the Sandite Pacesetter Award for her recent appointment to the Oklahoma Association of Career and Technology Education.

The Board discussed upcoming changes to graduation requirements since the last legislative session. 

This past May the Oklahoma Legislature passed House Bill 3218, a bipartisan effort with overwhelming support in both the House and Senate. The amendatory bill abolished the previous requirements surrounding controversial "End of Instruction" (EOI) exams that had the potential to prevent a student from graduating based solely on test scores. The new laws still require assessments on English, Mathematics, and Science, but these assessments will not prevent students with satisfactory grades and attendance from graduating. 

Schools throughout the State now have the ability to establish contact with former students under the age of 22, who passed all high school requirements except EOIs, and present them with diplomas. Thanks to the due diligence of Sand Springs teachers and administrators, there is not a single former student from either Charles Page High School or Page Alternative Academy (formerly Lake Alternative Academy) who failed to graduate based solely on EOI scores.

The 51-page bill eliminated entire sections of its previous incarnation, and added more than six pages of new law. The changes passed in HB3218 and other pieces of legislature passed this past session have both the State and local Boards of Education working hard to set new standards for testing students, as well as grading school performances. 

Superintendent Sherry Durkee informed the Board that she has reached out to Oklahoma LED, a wholesale lighting Energy Savings Company regarding their Power Forward rebate program. The program offers a free analysis of all Sand Springs Public Schools properties. Ponca City schools recently made the decision to use the program and is saving around $23,000 a month according to Durkee.

The program would replace every single light bulb in the district with an LED bulb over a four-to-five year period, providing a higher quality, longer-lasting, and environmental friendly alternative to a traditional bulb. The bulbs hold a fifteen-year life expectancy with a five-year warranty. At worst, the program is expected to be cost-neutral, and at best can save thousands for the schools through longer-lasting bulbs as well up to $150,000 in rebates from the Public Service Company of Oklahoma. 

The Board approved several out of state travel expenses for students and faculty.

Daniel Schmidt and Jacob Adkinson will be attending the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis in October, then Schmidt will attend several Show Pigs events in Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri from October through November. Andrea Brice will attend the National ACTE Convention in Las Vegas in December. Seven faculty members will be attending the National Title I Conference in Long Beach, California in February. All of these events are paid for with federal Professional Development funding specifically given to the schools for this purpose. 

The Charles Page High School wrestling team will travel to Kansas City in December for the prestigious Kansas City Stampede invitational tournament. They have been attending the event since 2013 and have had at least one champion every year. Last year they took fifteenth place out of forty teams. Both the Boys' and Girls' Basketball teams will be attending the Interstate Classic tournament in Coffeyville, Kansas in January. Last year the girls team took first place and the boys took second.

The Board authorized a resolution to call for an Annual School Election on February 14, 2017. Board President Mike Mullins will be up for reelection on that date. 

The Board invites all members of the community to participate in an online survey to help in developing a Continuous Strategic Improvement (CSI) plan. That survey is available HERE. Citizens interested in lending their voice to the initiative can also attend forums on the subject Wednesday. There will be an 8:30 a.m. forum at Garfield Elementary, a 3:30 p.m. forum at the Charles Page Fine Arts Center, and a 5:30 p.m. forum at the Clyde Boyd Middle School Library.

Governor Mary Fallin Launches Oklahoma Connect and Learn Initiative

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OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin launched the Oklahoma Connect and Learn Initiative Monday, a coordinated effort to bring high-speed broadband and digital learning opportunities to schools across the state. As part of the initiative, Oklahoma is partnering with interested school districts and telecommunications service providers to increase the number of schools with fiber optic connections, improve the capacity and affordability of those connections and ensure Oklahoma classrooms have Wi-Fi access to better facilitate digital learning. 

“I am proud to establish the Oklahoma Connect and Learn Initiative,” said Fallin. “The initiative is a voluntary program that works with schools to use existing funding efficiently and effectively to maximize opportunities to provide high-speed broadband and Wi-Fi access to students across Oklahoma.

“This technology also creates digital learning opportunities so that every student may have a personalized learning plan that may include upper level math and science classes and concurrent enrollment courses.”

The Oklahoma Connect and Learn Initiative state team includes the governor’s office,  Oklahoma State Department of Education, Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC), Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services and a local school superintendent.

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and EducationSuperHighway, the nation’s leading non-profit focused on upgrading Internet access in every public school classroom in America, are providing technical assistance to the state.

“At EducationSuperHighway, we have one mission: get more students online at speeds that can support digital learning,” said Evan Marwell, founder and CEO of EducationSuperHighway. “In our modern educational environment that is imperative to ensuring students can truly access the tools and resources they need to learn and grow. No student should ever miss out on an educational opportunity because of where they go to school. That’s not fair to them, and it’s not how we will build the strong and vibrant economy we need in the years ahead.

“We are thrilled to partner with the governor in this visionary effort. We are going to get high-speed broadband into more Oklahoma schools, and it’s going to make this great state even stronger. We congratulate Governor Fallin for her leadership and can’t wait to get started.”

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister said she is thrilled for the Education Department to play a role in an initiative as critical to student success as the Oklahoma Connect and Learn Initiative.

“Now is the time to invest in our children’s future by providing them with the tools they need to succeed in a 21st-century education,” said Hofmeister. “It is our shared goal that all Oklahoma schoolchildren become actively engaged in a connected, digital world while preparing for college and career. This initiative is an important step forward in reaching that goal.”

Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Dana Murphy said this initiative will be a boon to Oklahoma students.

“Access to the digital superhighway is no longer a luxury. It’s a necessity,” said Murphy. “The OCC is proud to do its part to make it a reality for Oklahoma’s students.”

Tyler Morrison receives Student Spirit Award for constructing new gardens at Garfield

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Gardens constructed by Tyler Morrison at the new Garfield STEAM Academy

By: Virgil Noah, Staff Writer

The regular monthly meeting of the Sand Springs Board of Education was held Tuesday in the Charles Page High School Performing Arts Building. The meeting began with the recognition and presentation of awards to several people.

Garfield STEAM Academy lost its garden after undergoing an extensive remodel, but that problem was fixed when student Tyler Morrison volunteered to be the eagle scout for the school, put together a plan and build the gardens. "It was really busy but it was a lot of fun. I had a lot of help and I definitely couldn't have done it without help." Tyler was presented with a Student Spirit Award and a gift card to Rib Crib.

Sand Springs Education Foundation Director Sylvia Fooshee was presented with a Sandite Spirit Award for her contributions and dedication over the years to Sand Springs Schools.

Board of Education President Mike Mullins was recently recognized with the Oklahoma State School Board Association Distinguished Service Award. Mullins, who recently gave up his gavel as President of the OSSBA, received the award at the annual OSSBA/Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration (CCOSA) conference in Oklahoma City. The award is given to only one individual a year. Mullins was also presented with the Sandite Think Right Award for his 19 years of service on the Sand Springs Board of Education. 

The Sand Springs School district set a goal of $65,000 in fundraising for the STEM initiative this year. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Electronics, and Mathematics. Several local businesses and organizations have made donations to the program. The Sand Springs Home was recognized for their $10,000 donation and LD Kerns Contractors was recognized for its work on the Garfield Renovation Project and a $500 donation to the STEM Initiative.

The Board approved out of state travel for several Sandite extra curricular events. The varsity Cross Country teams will be traveling to Fayetteville, Arkansas in October for the Chile Pepper XC Festival. The Dance team will be attending Dance Nationals in Orlando, Florida in February. The CPHS band will be headed to the Alamo Showcase of Music in San Antonio in April. Sandite Baseball will play in a Spring Break Tournament in Phoenix, Arizona in March. 

Sharon James, Matt Watkins, and Heather Miller are attending a Literacy Conference in San Diego, California later this month. Kristen Tanner received a $1,240 Scholarship from Engineering in Elementary to attend their workshop, Linking the E & M in STEM, in Boston, Massachusetts in November.

City Council approves contract for new safety facilities and other news

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Sand Springs City Council met in a regular monthly meeting Monday evening at the City Municipal Building. 

Brian Carr with the Tulsa Area United Way gave a brief presentation regarding the 2017 United Way Campaign in which the City of Sand Springs participates. 

The Council planned to present a plaque to AEP/PSO employees for their recent volunteer work in removing and replacing netting at the Canyons at Blackjack Ridge golf course. A lot of the netting was damaged in the March 2015 tornado that also devastated a pair of mobile home parks and the Jerry Adair Baseball Park. Several AEP employees volunteered their services to the extensive project over the last year. 

Blake Little, Jake Kinman, James Cooke, Ben Bryan, Chuck Bunch, and Joe Chambers worked on the project. "That's kind of what Sand Springs is; people just jump in and help when they're needed," said City Manager Elizabeth Gray. The volunteers were unable to attend the meeting but the Council plans to find another day to meet with them and thank them.

The City voted to unanimously approve the consent agenda which included six items considered to be routine. Part of the agenda included approval of a renewed contract with EMSA for emergency medical services. The cost of EMSA's services will increase by approximately 17.89%, but it is not expected to impact the City at this time. The City expected and budgeted for the increase in Fiscal Year 2016, but the increase never came to fruition. 

According to Mayor Mike Burdge, 4-5% is the typical increase. This year the increase is so high "due to general increases in operating costs and the impact of Medicaid cuts on patient receipts," says EMSA Chief Financial Officer Kent Torrence. Fire Chief Mike Wood still considers it to be a good deal compared to other options. 

SEE RELATED: Keri Fothergill appointed to Sand Springs Planning Commission

The Council approved a new 2017 Calendar Year schedule of regular meetings for the Council and Municipal Authority. The new schedule will have the Council meeting once per month, which will total twelve regular meetings as opposed to the current schedule of nineteen. This year the Council has meet twice per month with exception for the summer months (June July and August) and holiday months (November and December).

The meetings are to be held on the fourth Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m., the same time and day as they currently are. The meetings will be January 23rd, February 27th, March 27th, April 24th, May 22nd, June 26th, July 24th, August 28th, September 25th, October 23rd, November 27th, and December 18th. December 18th is the third Monday of the month, as the fourth Monday falls on Christmas Day. There will also be a special session held Monday, May 8th to swear in new council members.  

SEE RELATED: Sand Springs City Council members help fund Elementary field trip

The Council unanimously approved “a resolution affirming dilapidation public nuisance administrative hearing findings and authorization for the bringing of any action necessary in District Court.” The resolution applies to three dilapidated buildings slated for demolition sometime in October. The ten-day administrative appeals process expired without any appeals received and the property owners now have thirty days following the approval of the resolution to challenge the decision. The properties are located at 714 N. Washington Ave., 301 N. Franklin Ave., and 223 N. Industrial Ave.

SEE RELATED: Capital Homes to develop 87-lot housing addition in South Sand Springs

SEE RELATED: Sand Springs City Council approves new ordinance relating to false alarms

City Council unanimously approved a contract with Dewberry Architects for design of the new public safety facilities. In September of 2015 the citizens of Sand Springs voted to pass a dedicated sales tax to build new police, fire, courts, and 911 facilities.

The City is still looking at 129th and Wekiwa as the optimal location for the new facilities, but is open to other locations should a better situation present itself.

The Council unanimously approved Resolution 17-02, related to park funding and improvements.  

Oklahoma shows increase in ACT participation, ranks 29th in national scoring

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OKLAHOMA CITY (Aug. 24, 2016) – More of Oklahoma’s graduating seniors took the ACT college entrance exam than in the previous five years, according to information released today by ACT.

According to ACT, 2,010 more Oklahoma graduating seniors took the test, a 6.5-percent increase over the prior year’s cohort. State participation has been climbing, with 12 percent more students taking the exam since 2012.

Nationally, 64 percent of graduating seniors take the ACT, compared to 82 percent in Oklahoma.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister said when more Oklahoma students are taking the ACT, colleges are receiving more information about those students, opening the door to recruitment and scholarship opportunities for Oklahomans.

“Clearly, more of our students are exploring the possibility of extending their education beyond high school,” Hofmeister said. ”More students having access to college-entrance exams means new on-ramps to post-secondary education. This is an important and positive trend, since an estimated 62 percent of Oklahoma jobs will require a post-secondary education by 2020.”

Meanwhile, the number of Oklahoma juniors taking the ACT in 2016 skyrocketed by at least 58 percent over 2015. Last spring, the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) offered an ACT pilot program that enabled all public high school juniors in the state to take the exam at no cost to districts or students. Nearly every eligible high school participated, with 457 of 459 taking advantage of the voluntary program. In all, 35,477 juniors took the ACT as part of the initiative, compared to 22,500 the year before. The performance of Oklahoma’s juniors will be reflected in next year’s ACT score report of graduating seniors.

“Higher participation gives us a better picture of how we are doing at preparing our young people for college and career,” Hofmeister said. “The ACT, like any test, is a tool to show us areas of strength and weakness. We then act on that valuable information.”

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The state’s average composite score went from 20.7 to 20.4, while the national average composite score dropped from 21.0 to 20.8. Data shows that state composite scores are in line with changes in scores across the nation, dropping 0.3 points and 0.2 points, respectively. Oklahoma ranks 29th overall in average composite scores nationally.

The fastest growing racial/ethnic group testing with the ACT over the last five years in Oklahoma is Hispanic/Latino. This group has increased by 45.2 percent. The percentage of Native Americans in Oklahoma taking the test has declined in the same time period by 9.2 percent. However, Native Americans in Oklahoma are performing better than those in the nation. Oklahoma’s Native Americans averaged a score of 19.1, while the national average for the group was 17.1.

Oklahoma’s performance in reading matches that of the nation, both with an average score of 21.3. Meanwhile, the state still lags in math with a score of 19.5 versus a national score of 20.6.

Levi Patrick, OSDE director of secondary mathematics, said the recent instability of academic standards is one reason Oklahoma’s math scores are below average.

“With the flurry of academic standards within the past five years, our seniors have experienced a constant fluctuation in what they’ve been expected to learn. Mix in a culture of over-testing, and it has been hard to maintain a focus on content,” Patrick said. “We feel good about the future because with our new Oklahoma Academic Standards, we have identified and corrected weaknesses from previous standards. In addition to being more rigorous, the new standards have closed instructional gaps and incorporated meaningful progression across grades. We will begin to see a real difference in deep and conceptual understanding over the next few years as the transition between middle school and high school mathematics becomes much more seamless.”

Governor Mary Fallin Signs Paperwork Placing Five Additional State Questions on November Ballot

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin signed election proclamations Monday that place five additional state questions on the November 8 general election ballot.

The paperwork signed by the governor placed these issues on the ballot:

• State Question (SQ) 779, which would increase the state sales tax by 1 percent to fund teacher pay raises and other education causes.

• SQ 780, which reclassifies some criminal offenses, such as drug possession and property crimes, as misdemeanors instead of felonies.

• SQ 781, which would take money saved from implementing SQ 780 and allow counties to fund community rehabilitation programs.

• SQ 790, which would remove a section of the Oklahoma Constitution prohibiting use of state resources for religious purposes.  

• SQ 792, which would allow wine and full-strength beer to be sold in grocery stores and convenience stores.

The deadline for the governor to sign election proclamations for state questions to be placed on the November 8 general election ballot is Friday.

Two other state questions already are on the ballot. SQ 776 would declare that the death penalty is not cruel or unusual punishment and would allow the Legislature to designate any method of execution if a current method is declared unconstitutional. SQ 777 would prevent lawmakers from passing legislation to regulate agriculture unless there is a compelling state interest.

Sand Springs City Council members help fund Elementary field trip

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Sand Springs City Council considered a request from Councilman Brian Jackson to help fund a field-trip for Sand Springs Elementary students Monday evening at their regular August meeting. The outcome wasn’t what Jackson was hoping for, but it was still a positive result.

Jackson submitted a request that the City add Junior Achievement BizTown to Resolution 16-30, which authorizes the City to make arrangements for funding and participation of City officials in public events that are in the best interest of the City and promotes the goals and objectives of the City.

There are currently nineteen events/expenses that are authorized by the resolution, including Oklahoma Municipal League conferences, National League of Cities conferences, Mayors Council of Oklahoma conferences, The Oklahoma Academy, Sand Springs Chamber of Commerce membership, and Tulsa Metro Chamber membership.

Adding BizTown to the list would allow the City to redirect funding from the Hotel/Motel tax reserve to the Economic Development budget. Had the resolution passed to add BizTown to the list, Council would then consider a request by Jackson that a total sum of $3,625 be given to Sand Springs Public Schools for the purpose of sending 145 students from Northwoods Fine Arts Academy and Garfield STEAM Academy to BizTown in January, 2017.

BizTown opened in Tulsa in March 2003 under the name “Exchange City.” A city within a city, BizTown is a 6,500 square foot facility that houses a miniature “city” ran by fifth grade students. BizTown students spend approximately four weeks preparing for their trip, learning curriculum centered around financial literacy and work readiness. On January 17th and January 20th, students from Garfield and Northwoods respectively would visit the BizTown facility for a total of four hours where they will work jobs, collect a paycheck, and live like adults.

Some of the career-fields available inside BizTown include banking, working for a newspaper, policing, working in the food industry, City Government careers and more.

The BizTown program costs Junior Achievement $50 per student. The schools provide half of that cost and Junior Achievement raises the other half. Local philanthropist Mike Case, of Case and Associates, donated $3,625 to Junior Achievement to help fund the Garfield and Northwoods students, but the schools still have to raise their half of the funds.

While the Council recognized the quality learning environment that BizTown provides, their concern was that it wasn’t the place of the City to use Public funds in such a manner. “I’m not quite sure it’s a city responsibility,” said Councilwoman Patty Dixon. She went on to suggest that local civic groups and businesses should be contacted for help, and that the Council could help in being a voice for the program.

Councilman Jim Spoon was more direct in saying “I can’t see that it’s not a charitable donation.” The resolution specifically states that charitable donations are not allowed to be made with the funds.

“I see it as a partnership opportunity with our public schools that are hurting,” said Jackson. Jackson, who is the Development Manager for Junior Achievement, had also attempted to get BizTown on the resolution when it was initially passed in April. The Council voted to pass the resolution as-is by a vote of 5-2-0 with Jackson and former Councilman Dean Nichols voting against.

Council also pointed out that this money has already been budgeted, and rather tightly. “If we’re going to do something like this, we need to find a better way,” said Councilman Phil Nollan.

Nollan, Burdge, Dixon, and Councilman Beau Wilson each voluntarily committed to sponsoring four kids apiece out of their own pocket. David Charney, President of Capital Homes was also present at the meeting for an unrelated matter and personally pledged to sponsor ten kids.

With twenty-four kids down, Sand Springs schools still needs to find donors for the remaining 119. Citizens wishing to make a donation can send checks to the Board of Education building at 11 West Broadway, Sand Springs, OK 74063. Please note "Garfield/Northwoods JA Biztown" in the memo line.

This week in Sand Springs

Museum Trust Authority Meeting

The Sand Springs Cultural and Historical Museum Trust Authority is scheduled to meet Tuesday, August 16th, at 6:00 p.m. in the museum.

The Board will consider approval of the FY 2017 Budget, naming Ginger Murphy as Museum Director, reallocating space for museum operations, and will discuss the July financials.

Development Authority Meeting

The City of Sand Springs Development Authority is scheduled to meetWednesday, August 17th at 4:00 p.m. in the Sand Springs Municipal Building.

The Board will receive an update on Sand Springs’s development opportunities. No action is expected to be taken during the meeting.

Sand Springs Elementary Meet and Greets

Pratt Elementary is hosting their Meet and Greet event on Thursday, August 18th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.  The PTO will have a table set up for memberships and new spirit wear will be available for purchase.

Northwoods, Limestone, and Garfield Elementary will hold Meet-n-Greet events Monday, August 22nd, the day before school starts. Northwoods and Garfield will last from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Limestone will last from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

 City Council and Municipal Authority Meetings

The City of Sand Springs City Council is expected to meet Monday, August 22nd at 7:00 p.m. in the City Municipal Building. The Municipal Authority meeting will follow immediately after. No agenda has been provided at this time.

Tulsa County Court Clerk Runoff Election

The Tulsa County Republican Party will have a runoff election Tuesday, August 23rd.

Registered Republicans will choose between Donald Newberry and Ron Phillips for their November candidate.

Newberry is a US Air Force veteran with an Associate’s in Business, Bachelor’s in Psychology, and Masters in Business Administration.

Phillips is currently the Special Projects Director for the County Clerk’s Office and holds a business administration degree.

The winner of the runoff will take on Democratic nominee John R. Andrew in November.

Newberry won the June Republican primary with 35% to 33%.

Sand Springs Public School students return to class Tuesday, August 23rd

Meet the Sandites will also be held this day at 6:00 p.m..