OKMULGEE, Okla. — Some Okmulgee High School alumni want to see their beloved school building preserved after learning the district may demolish the century-old structure.
A group of former students say there are plenty of memories in the walls of Okmulgee High School.
“We grew up in these halls, and that’s what we care about,” said Jan Colombin.
Jan Colombin is a proud 1969 graduate of Okmulgee High School. He came back to teach and eventually served as principal dedicating his career to the school.
“It’s family,” said Colombin. “That building is family to us.”
He even created an alumni room filled with memorabilia, pictures and uniforms. He wants it all to stick around for future generations.
“When grandma gets old you don’t throw her away, you take care of that grand lady,” said Colombin. “We need to take care of this grand lady.”
His former student, 1998 grad Dawn Carter feels the same way.
“A lot of beloved teachers that we remember,” said Dawn Carter. “The classes we had. The friendships that were made. There’s just a lot.”
Carter and her whole family graduated from Okmulgee High School. The old brick building bringing generations together.
“This was a part of a lot of our community members’ lives,” said Carter.
It’s the reason they were worried hearing the building may be torn down. 2 News reported in August, when the first day of school got pushed back for the roughly 300 high school students because of structural issues.
Local News
NEW FIRST DAY: Okmulgee High School students now start school Aug. 19
2 News talked with Superintendent LuVona Copeland about it back in August.
“Historic beautiful building,” said LuVona Copeland. “Very interesting building, but we’ll
just have to wait and see what the experts tell us about what can be done.”
High School students started having class at the Center for Aerospace and Advanced Technologies.
Since the move in August, a Frequently Asked Questions memo was sent out to Okmulgee Public Schools’ families.
The district said:
“The assessment identified serious safety concerns within the Okmulgee High School building, including damage that compromises its structural integrity and reliability. While immediate repairs would be necessary to address urgent issues, the engineer also raised concerns about the building's long-term stability.”
Their memo notes repairs would cost around $2.5 million.
“Nobody is wanting to just see the building disappear,” said Carter.
The alumni would like to see ideas of how to keep this piece of history around.
“Can we save any of it?” asked Colombin. “If we can, let’s do that.”
The district says the final decision about the building’s future will depend on the cost estimates they receive.
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