Welcome to Build a Better Broken Arrow Committee

On Tuesday, Nov. 14, voters will have the opportunity to cast their vote in the 2023 bond election to invest $52 million in Broken Arrow Public Schools over the next five years. The ballot will contain four separate questions for voters to consider: 

PROPOSITION 1 - $48 MILLION

The 2023 bond issue includes a $5 million investment in safety precautions across the district for items such as a perimeter fence and secure vestibules at the high school, LED lighting in parking lots, a dispatch center, and body cameras for the BAPS Campus Security team. 

A significant portion of the 2023 bond, $18.5 million, would be spent on technology enhancements including WiFi and infrastructure upgrades, such as switches and cabling, desktop and tablet replacement, classroom display and audio upgrades, and other instructional items such as Chromebooks and software for students. 

Facility maintenance will also be a key focus of the 2023 bond at $14.2 million. With more than 1,900 HVAC units across the district, this bond proposal would include the replacement of 181 HVAC units that have an average age of 26 years. Roofs would be another significant expenditure, and the funds provided in this bond would enable the district to replace 13 of the worst roofs - those rated D and F. 

Given the size of the district – which spans 115 square miles – the transportation department runs more than 200 routes two times every day. In order to increase transportation efficiency, the district will use $4.5 million to create a transportation terminal on the southern end of the district. Reducing time spent on buses and achieving an earlier dismissal time for elementary students are two of the early goals of the addition of this facility. 

Student engagement is an indicator of success, and both the Fine Arts and Athletics programs continue to gain enrollment. The two specific items included in the 2023 bond are a renovation of existing spaces at Broken Arrow High School into Fine Arts practice and storage areas and an updated facility for the high school tennis teams. The Fine Arts improvements will be allocated $4 million, while the tennis facility will receive $1.8 million of the bond dollars.

PROPOSITION 2 - $4 MILLION

Limited only to transportation expenses – per state law – this question would include the purchase of buses. The average age of a BAPS bus is 13 years, and approval of this question would enable the district to maintain its bus replacement lifecycle.

PROPOSITION 3 - NO NEW MONEY

This question is a revote of an item included in the 2015 bond issue. That bond included a project named “Elementary 17” which has yet to be constructed because the dollars are not yet available for expenditure. Rather than add another elementary school, which will add to the district’s overall operating costs and require an attendance zone redistricting, Proposition 3 asks voters to consider adding classroom wings to existing elementary schools. Adding classrooms using this method will enable the district to maintain low class sizes at the elementary level. This type of construction can also be completed much faster than building an entirely new elementary.

PROPOSITION 4 - NO NEW MONEY

This question is a revote of an item included on the 2015 bond issue. That bond included the construction of a new pool at the Kirkland Activities Complex. Since the passage of the 2015 bond issue, the City of Broken Arrow has expressed the desire to partner with the district in constructing and operating a pool at Elam Park. If this question is approved by the voters, the pool may still be constructed at the Kirkland Activities Complex, but it would not be required to be constructed at that location. The $35 million allocated to the pool is not available until 2025, so this change would not affect the construction timeline or the amount allocated to the project.