TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa Public Schools Board Vice President Calvin Moniz was the only board member to vote against a plan that would close 17 school sites next year. Moniz said he was not confident the district could carry out the proposal in a way that best supports students.
“In coming to a decision, I had to look at what our system in Tulsa Public Schools can sustain, and what is best for our students,” said Moniz.
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Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education votes to close 17 schools
Moniz represents District 2, which includes four schools slated to close under the plan: Mitchell Elementary, Sequoyah Elementary, Springdale Elementary and Unity Learning Academy.
The TPS Board approved the district’s efficiency plan at their Oct. 19 meeting, moving forward with the closure of 17 school sites effective next year.
Moniz acknowledged during the meeting that the proposal may be the most plausible financial solution available to the district. However, he said concerns about implementation ultimately led him to vote against it.
“Sustainably, I believe that it requires execution that," the vice president said. "I don’t feel that I have enough confidence in our systems and the coordination and implementation of our bond commitments, the current operations of the district and executing this plan can be done so to the best support of our students, so I’ll be voting no."
In a statement, Moniz said his vote was not meant to dismiss the financial realities facing TPS or suggest that alternatives would necessarily produce a better outcome.
Before the vote, board members warned that failing to act could result in additional schools being added to the closure list. They also said the district could reach a point where it would be unable to pay employees by 2028.
Despite Moniz’s opposition, the proposal passed.
Moniz said he plans to continue asking difficult questions and advocating for students and the needs of schools as TPS moves forward with the plan.
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