$74 million bond proposal passes vote for Ada City Schools

ADA, Okla. (KXII) - Big changes are coming to the Ada City Schools district thanks to Tuesdays bond election results.

The school district had two bond proposals on the ballet, one of them worth $74 million dollars to build 2 elementary school buildings.

“It all came to fruition and as our community usually does they stood up and supported us,” said Ada City Schools superintendent Mike Anderson.

School bond elections require a 60% majority to pass in Oklahoma and this particular bond met that threshold and then some with 70% of votes in favor of the bond.

“It seems like every time we ask for their help they don’t say no they just say how can we help and when can we get started,” Anderson said.

Anderson says that the project could get started as early as December.

The new facilities will replace Hayes and Washington elementary schools, both of which are decades old and in need of upgrades according to Anderson.

Once the first building has completed construction first, second, and third graders will be moved in from Hayes, followed by the fourth and fifth graders temporarily moving into Hayes from Washington.

Washington will then be demolished to make way for the new facility on the same lot.

“Thankfully we have the facilities that allow us to carry that plan out,” said Anderson. “It is a little bit complicated but it’s going to work.”

Funding for the building will come from a 12% increase to district residents property tax.

Anderson says that the tax increase is a necessary investment if the people of Ada want to see their city continue to grow and improve.

“Nothing good comes easy and it very seldom comes cheap,” said Anderson. “But our community was willing to make that investment and that’s what we pushed. This is not just an investment in our students who very much deserve it, its not just an investment in our schools where its very much needed, its an investment in our community.”

The other bond that passed is a $400,000 proposal for the purchase of new transportation equipment.

They plan to use federal CARES act funding to supplement the bond, giving them enough funding for 8 new school busses and 2 new activity busses.

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