Addressing the Growing Student Population in Broken Arrow

Since 2013, Broken Arrow has been experiencing a steady increase in its student enrollment, with approximately five hundred new students joining the district every year.

This consistent growth has placed significant strain on the school system, leading to overcrowded classrooms and a shortage of teachers.

“As the number of students in our schools and classrooms continues to rise, we can clearly see the challenges associated with larger class sizes and the need to hire more staff and add classrooms,” said Bridget Powell, the Executive Director of Broken Arrow Public School’s Enrollment.

The district has made efforts to employ more teachers to accommodate the growing student population. However, the teacher shortage has made it increasingly difficult to find qualified individuals to fill these positions.

“Our principals worked tirelessly throughout the summer to hire teachers, only to realize by the end of August that our enrollment numbers were even higher than expected, forcing them to hunt for more teachers when there’s already a limited pool available,” Powell explained.

In addition to hiring more teachers, some schools have had to undertake innovative approaches to create additional classroom space for the current academic year.

Looking ahead, voters will play a crucial role in deciding whether to expand existing schools by adding more classrooms. This particular proposition is one of four included within a $52 million school bond.

“There’s still ample room for growth in Broken Arrow, and it’s possible that we will continue to experience an increase in enrollment for years to come,” Powell mentioned optimistically.

Furthermore, the proposed school bond also includes funding for infrastructure and technology upgrades, as well as improvements in transportation.