Kildare School seeks bond for school improvements

By Everett Brazil, III

The Newkirk Herald Journal

KILDARE — Kildare Public School (NPS) has served generations of Kay County elementary and middle school students, many of whom eventually graduate to Newkirk Public Schools and Ponca City Public Schools. The sun continues to shine on the district today, as enrollment has increased, and is expected to continue to increase for the next few school years, which is creating problems for the district, as they don’t have the space to house the new students.

To alleviate the growth problem, voters within the KPS school district are asked to approve a proposed bond on Nov. 12, which will add classroom space, increase school safety and renovate portions of the current structure.

“Our school has grown in the number of students over the past years. We now have 114 students, and this year, we added a seventh grade, and we are at capacity to what our building can hold, and need more space in order to have classes,” said KPS Superintendent-Principal Bruce Shelley.

To meet those needs, KPS is asking for a $2 million bond, over the next 10 years, which will be used for more classroom space, but also cover a variety of other issues facing the school. School security will be increased with a new secure front entrance and playground fence. The roofs over the gymnasium and cafeteria will be replaced, and there are several more improvements on the gym, as well, such as a new floor, new HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system, and an expansion for more stands.

A new bus barn will make it easier to store and keep the buses, especially in the winter.

“It will better house our busses. On those cold mornings, we won’t have to scrape icy windows, and it’ll be safer because those windows won’t be icy,” Shelley said.

KPS administration is asking for the support of the community members to increase the efficiency of the school district and provide a better educational environment for many years to come.