BROKEN ARROW, Oklahoma — Broken Arrow Public Schools is realigning divisions at its middle schools, causing concern among some parents.

2 News takes a deep dive into what the county says is the reason behind the boundary changes.

We were at the parent forum organized by the district on October 24th. Bridget Powell, General Manager of BAPS Enrollment Services, explained why one aspect of the transition was decided at the state level.

“In July of this year, this summer, Governor Stitt signed a bill that changed how interdistrict transfers were managed, essentially eliminating local control within counties,” Powell said.

After meeting with parents, it became clear that the main issue with the proposed changes was changing schools.

This all stems from the district not allowing students to be grandfathered in or transferred back to their original school if they are under a new boundary.

Some students may change schools every year until high school, depending on where they live.

“Now with this redistricting, you’re going to be going to multiple schools in a short amount of time,” said Jonathan McCullough, parent of a sixth-grader.

Her daughter recently moved into sixth grade and now faces another move next year.

Her daughter will also face further school transitions over the next few years due to BAPS. He will go to the freshman academy and then to high school, all these transfers have McCullough worried.
“They go to the ninth-grade center in just a few years and then they go to a new school, so three school changes in four years is a lot,” McCullough said.

2 News reviewed Oklahoma’s new law Stopping inter-school transfers.

The law only allows transfers if the schools accepting the student have capacity. There are also special guidelines for siblings and students whose parents work at the school.

For BAPS families, schools are already full due to Broken Arrows’ rapid growth.

“Even when we redistrict, we don’t have enough capacity in our middle schools. We’re not going to have that open capacity, so our hands are tied,” Powell said.

The region has released a number of maps outlines proposed new boundaries.

Broken Arrow Public Schools

Also took into account the new 8^This-The goal of balancing enrollment between grade academies and secondary schools.

“There is a lot of growth and a lot of new developments happening in Broken Arrow,” said Deputy Superintendent of Information and Technology Ashley Bowser.

Broken Arrow is also growing rapidly, forcing the district to consider redistricting every 2 to 3 years. This is still an issue that concerns some members of the BA community.

“I’m not keen on it because I see families being separated over things like this. I see neighborhoods falling apart. I see the idea of ​​bringing neighborhoods and communities together being more and more separated,” said former BAPS substitute teacher Miriam Flanagan.

Following the parent forum, the redistricting committee may make changes to the proposed boundaries.

If the committee changes any of the boundaries before the next school board meeting, they will need to represent them at the Nov. 11 meeting, otherwise their current submissions will be submitted for final approval.

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