Dr. Walker says a new resident wants to donate for an Ag facility
Funding of Newcastle Public Schools’ (NPS) projects, and a north campus of Mid-America Technology Center (MATC) highlighted the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce State of the Schools luncheon Thursday.
The annual luncheon is a time for an update on NPS and MATC activities.
Dr. Cathy Walker, superintendent at Newcastle, and Mike Eubank, MATC superintendent, were the featured speakers, providing accomplishments and an idea of where they are headed in the future.
Walker described projects at all of the NPS sites, and added that the community now needs to begin layering bond issues so the school system can catch up building facilities that will match the community’s growth. She said this will address what is needed as interest rates decrease and building activity continues. Significant growth is also expected with the planned Indian hospital coming to Newcastle.
Layering bond issues provides for paying off existing indebtedness as new bond issues are approved and new indebtedness begins. The idea is to finance without a tax rate increase and pay off debt payments using tax collections from continued growth in property, and rising property values.
Walker also announced that she has been in discussions with a new resident to Newcastle who wants to donate approximately $3 million for an Agriculture facility. She added that if this works out, the donor would then like to donate more money to be used for a second elementary school.
Walker has been working on securing a location of about 20 acres for an Ag facility, and the school is deciding where that should be. She said the donor wants to leave money in a trust so the project is funded. The Newcastle Board of Education would still have to approve location and other items.
“He really wants to invest in our community and our school district, which is a huge, huge gift,” she said.
Walker said because of the area’s growth the school district is paying off its current bond issue faster than was anticipated. She said this will allow the school to work towards the next bond issue.
Newcastle Public Schools
Walker began her address to the Chamber members by saying “Welcome to Class 5A.” She said the move has created some challenges for the school district, but also has created opportunities.
She said the school system is actually down by 30 students this year, but she attributed that to less housing construction due to high interest rates. She added that because of the recent decrease in interest rates by the federal reserve that they are already seeing construction activities pick back up in the area.
She detailed NPS’ construction projects that are either underway or completed. These include a classroom addition with new restrooms at Newcastle Middle School, and playgrounds at the Early Childhood Center and at Newcastle Elementary School. Included is a stand-alone playground for the special needs students.
Walker said safety panels have now been installed at the elementary school, adding an extra layer of security for the students.
At Newcastle High School, dirt work continues. She said because a photo of the mud and dirt wouldn’t be as compelling, she provided an architectural rendering of how the new two-story high school will appear as those driving Main Street through Newcastle will see it. The high school
STATE OF SCHOOLS, page 8 will have a new much-larger cafeteria, a band room which doubles as a large safe room, two Family and Consumer Science classrooms, and a state-of-the-art chemistry laboratory.
Other completed projects are the new air conditioning at the high school gymnasium, the playgrounds, new LED lights at Racer football stadium, and a new road behind NES.
Coming projects include work at the NHS baseball and softball fields, a road serving the ECC and NMS, textbooks, technology, maintenance needs, and additional buses.
The school has also continued to address safety and security needs. Walker said NPS is considered very safe and secure with vestibules where visitors must be buzzed in and out. They will also be installing safety film around all the offices, at the middle school cafeteria, and at the ECC library. A future desire is a third School Resource Officer. Mid-America Technology Center
Eubank said these are busy times at Mid-America Technology Center. He said the roles they are providing include a work force and economic growth. He said most of the students at MATC come from Newcastle, Blanchard and Bridge Creek, but the other communities are also wellrepresented.
Because of the many students from this area, MATC has, for years, discussed having a north campus. The technology center has had a sign on land along State Highway 9 for the past 23 years, he said. But there’s not enough land for a facility at that location.
Eubank said MATC would need about 60 acres in the area and he’s been in negotiations with some area landowners.
He’s also been placing money in a building account for a facility; however, he said the building and operation of a new north campus would still require the vote of the entire MATC district on a millage increase. The MATC district includes both McClain and Garvin Counties.
“There’s clearly a need to better serve this side of the county,” Eubank said.
At the existing campus, students have increased for both full-time and for specific business and industry training. MATC has grown 25% in the last four years for student enrollment. They are out of seats, out of parking spots, and the facility’s lagoon is very taxed, he said.
The facility has construction projects underway including an 32,000 square-foot addition which houses conference space, meeting space, a food area, and an IT maintenance space.
They’ve added six programs in the last three years, and increased by 200 students. There are 35 full-time programs.
State of the Schools Luncheon Sponsors
As a way to provide for the State of the Schools’ luncheon, several Chamber members have helped sponsor the event.
Sooner State Bank was the presenting sponsor, while Nabholz Construction was Gold sponsor.
Lunch was catered by Came’s Tacos y Mas.
