Special election is Sept. 9
Early voting for a Sept. 9 special election to decide two school bond propositions in Stratford will begin Thursday, Sept. 4, and continue through Friday, Sept. 5.
The Stratford School District is asking voters to approve school bond propositions totaling $9.32 million. The list of items to be funded with the bond issues includes a new elementary classroom building, new auditorium seating and additional school buses.
Stratford Superintendent Michael Blackburn said the proposed bond issue will allow the district to address several critical facility needs and improve the overall learning environment for students.
The bulk of the funding – $8,375,000 – will be for the construction of a new building to serve third through fifth grade students.
“Our current elementary building, constructed in 1937, is aging and experiencing a number of structural and space limitations,” Blackburn said.
Stratford’s elementary school currently has two sections for each grade level in pre-K to fifth grade, according to Blackburn.
Kindergarten and fourth grade will both add a third section for this upcoming school year.
“Unfortunately, we simply don’t have the space to expand other grades in the same way when needed,” Blackburn said.
The proposed building would be west of the current elementary school and south of the library. It would include nine classrooms and a new playground.
Blackburn said the move would also free up space in the existing building for pre-K through second grade students and allow the district to upgrade facilities for special education and create a dedicated STEM classroom.
The bond proposal also includes $265,000 in funding to replace seating in the district’s auditorium. The current seats, installed in the early 1980s, are showing wear and several have already had to be removed, according to Blackburn, who said the auditorium is used not only for school performances and assemblies but also as a hub for community events.
“We’ve made recent upgrades to the sound and stage lighting systems, and now it’s time to modernize the seating for safety and comfort,” he said.
The proposition includes $100,000 to purchase land adjacent to the district’s sports complex, which Blackburn said would provide space for parking and future expansion.
Another $80,000 would go toward purchasing an additional school vehicle.
“With multiple organizations competing across the state, we frequently need to transport students when a full-size bus isn’t practical, or a driver isn’t available,” Blackburn said, adding the district’s current three-vehicle fleet is aging and accumulating high mileage. “Adding a fourth vehicle will help reduce wear and increase reliability.”
A second bond proposition for $500,000 will also appear on the Sept. 9 special election ballot. If approved, those funds would be used to purchase of three new route buses and one handicap-accessible bus for the district.
“All our current route buses have approximately 100,000 miles or more, and our only handicap-accessible bus is aging with no backup available,” Blackburn said.
Blackburn said if the bond proposal is approved it would be funded through a lease revenue bond series and will not increase property taxes.
Voters in the district who will not be able to make it to the polls on Election Day, have the option of casting in-person absentee ballots, also known as early voting, at their County Election Board. Early voting is open to all registered voters.
“You do not need to provide an excuse to vote early. Oklahoma allows early voting for all elections conducted through the State Election Board—from school board and municipal elections to state and federal elections. This is a great option for those who will be out of town on Election Day or who want to avoid long lines,” Garvin County Election Board Secretary Holly Levis said.
Registered voters in the Stratford school district may cast in-person absentee ballots Thursday, Sept. 4, and Friday, Sept. 5, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the County Election Board, 201 W. Grant Ave., in Pauls Valley. Levis reminds voters that early voting is not available at polling locations.
Regular polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, Sept. 9.
The Garvin County Election Board is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information on voting, please contact the Election Board at 405-238-3303 or garvincounty@elections. ok.gov.
