A Year of Listening

Nearly 100 years ago, the citizens of Ponca City made a decision that would shape the future of our community for generations. Recognizing the importance of public education and the needs of a growing city, community leaders invested in the construction of a new high school. In January 1928, students walked through the doors of what we now know as the historic Howell Building at Ponca City High School.

As we approach the 100th anniversary of this iconic building, I find myself reflecting on the vision, courage and commitment of those who came before us.

Those community leaders understood something that remains true today: Strong public schools are essential to strong communities, and an investment in education is an investment in the future of our nation.

They recognized that educating the next generation was not simply the responsibility of a school district, but a shared commitment to the economic vitality, civic strength and future prosperity of Ponca City. They planned for the community they believed Ponca City could become, not simply the community that existed at that moment.

A century later, we find ourselves at another important point in our district’s history.

While I certainly wish we were experiencing the growing student enrollment that our predecessors were planning for, our reality today is much different. On Oct. 1, 2021, Ponca City Public Schools served 4,854 students. This October, our enrollment was 4,192 students. That represents a decline of 662 students, or nearly 14%, in just five years.

Declining enrollment presents real challenges. Fewer students often mean fewer financial resources, yet the costs associated with maintaining our facilities, operating programs and providing educational opportunities remain. We must recognize these realities and respond with thoughtful, responsible planning.

Just as our community planned for growth 100 years ago, we must now plan for greater efficiency, sustainability and opportunity.

Our responsibility is not to maintain a school system designed for a population we once served, but to build a system that best serves the students we have today and those who will follow.

That is why our district has been deeply engaged in strategic planning. Over the past several months, I have conducted listening sessions at every school site, met with employee and stakeholder groups throughout our district and visited with members of our community. We have also surveyed our citizens to better understand what they value most about our schools and where they believe we can improve.

These conversations are helping us identify our most critical needs, while establishing priorities that will guide our district for years to come.

We are examining how we use our buildings, how we allocate resources, how we support our teachers and staff and how we provide students with educational experiences that prepare them for a rapidly changing world.

As we approach our next school bond cycle, this strategic planning work will become the foundation for our decisions.

Working alongside our Board of Education, we will use the feedback gathered from our students, employees, families and community to develop a list of projects that address critical needs and create new opportunities throughout our district.

Just as importantly, we are approaching this work with a strong commitment to fiscal responsibility. Our goal is to reinvest in Ponca City Public Schools while maintaining our existing bond millage rate, resulting in no increase to the bond tax rate for our citizens. Through careful planning and responsible financial management, we believe we can make meaningful investments in our schools without increasing that rate.

This is about creating learning environments where students are inspired, teachers are supported and opportunities continue to grow even as our enrollment changes.

I often think about the community leaders who stood where we stand today nearly a century ago. They did not know exactly what the next 100 years would bring, but they understood the lasting importance of public education. They made thoughtful investments that have served generations of Wildcats and helped establish Ponca City as a community that values education.

Now it is our turn.

The decisions we make today will help determine the opportunities available to students and staff for decades to come. We have an obligation to honor the investments of those who came before us, while having the foresight to adapt to the needs of a changing community.

Declining enrollment does not have to mean declining opportunities. Instead, it can be an opportunity to rethink how we operate, strengthen our programs, modernize our facilities and become more efficient in how we serve students.

Our vision remains clear: preparing students to live and work in a global society. Fulfilling that vision requires us to embrace change, while remaining grounded in the values that have always made Ponca City special.

A hundred years ago, our community had the courage to imagine what public education could become. Today, we have the opportunity and responsibility to do the same.

We are not planning for the school district we used to be. We are planning for the school district our students will need us to become.

Together, we can honor our past, embrace our present and build a future worthy of the generations of Wildcats yet to come.

I am so thankful for a community who understands and supports our school district. Thank you Ponca City!