4 Mid - Del elementary schools closing their doors for good on May 23.

[Tylerwilliams16]

According to KFOR, the Mid Del School District will close 4 of their elementary schools.
Traub Elementary
Eastside Elementary
Sooner Rose Elementary
and Soldier Creek Elementary.
There is an open house for former students I believe tomarrow at 9 AM for these 4 schools and then they will close their doors on the 23rd of May.

More to come......and a link will be posted later for the news source.

[Tylerwilliams16]

East Side Elementary - Home (This is for east Side School)

[woodyrr]

I attended Traub Elementary from Kindergarten though 6th grade (1966-1972). I plan to stop by for the open house.

"Mid-Del Schools will be hosting Open Houses Saturday, May 3, 2014, for the following schools:
East Side Elementary, Soldier Creek Elementary, Sooner Rose Elementary, and Traub Elementary.
We invite you to join us as we celebrate the memories made at these schools throughout the years. Each of these schools will be open for self-guided tours before we say goodbye to these schools at the end of the school year. All of the Open Houses will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m."

Text copied from the Mid-Del Schools home page.


Mid-Del Schools Home - District Entry

[bradh]

they just spent a bunch of money on Sooner Rose and Soldier Creek within the last 3 years...great foresight

[mmonroe]

they just spent a bunch of money on Sooner Rose and Soldier Creek within the last 3 years...great foresight

They also sold Sooner Rose and rented it back for a $1 this last year. I'm sure the funds were recovered in that sale.

[woodyrr]

I was able to attend the Traub elementary school farewell this morning. I have posted a few photos on my flickr page.

Traub Lettering by woodyrr, on Flickr

https://www.flickr.com/photos/392131...7644083462548/

[bombermwc]

I went to East Side ("graduated" from there in '94). Lots of great memories and I'm sad to see it go. Also quite a bit annoyed to see them rename the new school from East Side to "Midwest City Elementary". Even though it's being built on the same land East Side sits on today. They're closing the others, but I don't see why that means you have to rename East Side just because it's absorbing some of the students. RARGH.

Anyway, I went to the open house on Saturday and here are a few of the pictures. It's a drastic difference to see one of the remodeled classrooms in comparison to the old ones. The high ceiling rooms still feel dated and old (and still have the old bright colored doors). So on one hand it's neat to see the old stuff still there. But it's also sad to see that so much money has been put into the place (which did celebrate it's 50th anniversary in 2007), now be bulldozed.

1st grade.jpg
Remodeled classroom

3rd grade.jpg
"Old" classroom

cafeteria1.jpg
Cafeteria - still smells the same...bleh

cafeteria2.jpg
more cafeteria

cafeteria3.jpg
more cafeteria

front.jpg
Front door - the new awning looks so much nicer than the old front

gym1.jpg
Gym

mat.jpg
They have a new mat at the front door. There used to be a blue one with gold jets on it that said East Side Jets

music.jpg
remodeled music room

music2.jpg
More remodeled music room - remember these guys!

picture.jpg
One of my all time favorite teachers went to East Side and still teaches there. He has a great picture from when the school was first built, and now. Looks like he'll need to add a new piece to it too. He had something but nice things to say about the new building. I haven't been in there yet, but anxious to see myself. The ideas behind the design are quite good.

sign.jpg
Farwell old friend.

[bombermwc]

I was able to attend the Traub elementary school farewell this morning. I have posted a few photos on my flickr page.

Traub Lettering by woodyrr, on Flickr

https://www.flickr.com/photos/392131...7644083462548/

I've only been in Traub a few times, but it's amazing how the same basic structure of so many of the schools was shrunk down for the smaller student population. The cafeteria, for example, could fit inside the one at East Side...weird! I think Sooner Rose mostly fell under the same plan but a lot of it was MUCH older.

[Zuplar]

So why are these schools getting closed? Did they build new ones?

[dmoor82]

So why are these schools getting closed? Did they build new ones?

The new Midwest City Elementary is almost finished, it is off of Midwest Blvd. in-between SE 29th and SE 15th streets.

[Zuplar]

So all those kids will now be going to one school?

[woodyrr]

Yes. The students from Eastside, Traub, and Sooner Rose will begin attending Midwest City Elementary next school year. I look for middle school consolidation to be next.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[acumpton]

Where will the kids from Soldier Creek go?

[woodyrr]

There is a new Soldier Creek school being built adjacent and northeast of the existing building.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Zuplar]

That's interesting. Kind of the opposite of many districts.

[bombermwc]

Well the students at Sooner Rose are being split up some between Epperly and Del City Elem. Both of those schools had additions constructed to absorb some of it.

Keep in mind that we're looking at overall numbers of students. Sooner Rose and Traub put together were just over the existing population of East Side (one of the larger elem.). While SR and Traub mostly had 2 classes per grade, ES usually had 4. While some of that had decreased at ES over the last 10 years, the structure was already there for that population. So it was a lot easier for ES to absorb the population that some other locations.

But student population is changing all over Mid-Del. That's why Del City moved down to 5A. This restructuring has the potential to push DC back up to 6A as these reshuffled kids make their way through the grades.

As mentioned above, middle school consolidation will be next. The district already tried it once, but they were out voted by the people. So, instead they decided to do it by a different method. Consolidate starting at the bottom, and then work your way up. I'd almost bet that Jarman and Kerr are brought back up again since both were the subject of discussion last go-around. The trouble is, both schools would need to have significant additions made to make that work. But the question then comes up, do you really serve the students by having a middle school as large as the high school? With CA, the population base at CAMS is the same as CAHS, but with say MCHS, you've got another 500+ kids between the two schools. For me personally, it seems better to keep them divided up at the middle school level and then combine at the high school level. But Jarman really needs to be dozed and rebuilt in the same way these were....here's my plan.

First off, build a new stadium on 15th just east of Sooner Rose. Doze Rose Field to the ground. It's falling apart and is a joke anyway. I wouldn't get any traction for it, but I'd close Kalsu and convert the CAHS stadium to the Jr. High field (it is at a Jr High after all). Kalsu is as much of a pile as Rose is. While it's at least at a high school, much like Rose, the traffic flow is terrible getting in/out.
Next, build a new Jarman on the site of Rose Field. Stop with all the crappy duct tape fixes and give those kids the school they deserve instead of getting the short end of the stick like they always have. The school has been ignored for decades for anything meaningful.
Doze the old Jarman and also build proper athletic facilities on the old school site for Jarman. Heck, they don't even have a real football/track practice field after the fake softball field was fenced off. And build a real softball and baseball field while you're at it instead of just fencing off some crap...and some not cracking tennis courts. It's pathetic...and they wonder why kids aren't interested in extra activities there....maybe because their resources suck. Head over to CA and compare how the district has funded those activities...it's a joke in CA's favor.

Now bring on the flack....but like I said, it's just my opinion....

[bombermwc]

I should mention the immediate benefit this plan gives in the way of maintenance costs too. Much like with OCPS, when you build a new structure, you get an immediate benefit in reducing the amount of money you have to put into the building each year to just keep it running. The new building is more efficient as well, so you save on energy costs too.

[Plutonic Panda]

Don't know much about these schools, but a nice article with some history on each one.

Farewell to four Mid-Del elementary schools - Eastword News - Midwest City, OK

[Prunepicker]

I'm all about history and culture. But, and it's a big but, I believe that a
school should be closed if it's not doing what it's supposed to do. I went
to Heronville in the 50's but if it's not doing it's job then it needs to be
closed.

[Prunepicker]

Schools that are inferior deserve to be closed. How can anyone disagree
with that?

Maybe the teachers need to be fired and the next wave needs to be
hired. That may inspire teaching.

Hey, if you don't produce then you're out of here. There's another
generation awaiting the chance to teach.

[MWCGuy]

they just spent a bunch of money on Sooner Rose and Soldier Creek within the last 3 years...great foresight

Rose State bought Traub and Bancfirst bought Sooner Rose. Each school was leased back for a $1 a year until they were ready to move out. I predict Rose State will remodel Traub for extra classroom space. Bancfirst will likely tear Sooner Rose down for a bank branch. Sooner Rose needed be closed because it was too close to the road especially when school was opening for the day or dismissing for the day. Traffic was a nightmare and a major safety concern. It was built back when most kids walked to school and traffic ran at a trickle on 15th and Sooner. Today it's major intersection that needs rehabilatation work on the Midwest City side. Del City just finished there half of it last year.

I am hoping someone will tear down the little strip shopping center across from the school and put in a descent restaurant.

[MWCGuy]

they just spent a bunch of money on Sooner Rose and Soldier Creek within the last 3 years...great foresight

Rose State bought Traub and Bancfirst bought Sooner Rose. Each school was leased back for a $1 a year until they were ready to move out. I predict Rose State will remodel Traub for extra classroom space. Bancfirst will likely tear Sooner Rose down for a bank branch or they make it part of a larger development. I know there is a huge open section land just East of school.

Besides Sooner Rose needed be closed because it was too close to the road. Traffic was a nightmare and a major safety concern at the start of the school day and at the end of school. It was built back when most kids walked to school and traffic ran at a trickle on 15th and Sooner. Today it's major intersection that needs rehabilitation work on the Midwest City side. Del City just finished there half of it last year.


I am hoping someone will tear down the little strip shopping center across from the school and put in a descent restaurant.

[bombermwc]

RSC hasn't been allowed in to evaluate the structure properly yet...they'll get in after this month when the school closes. They haven't decided what to do with it yet. Obviously its set up for classroom space, but not really in an efficient manner. It's far from the other buildlings and has a lot of space that can't be used efficiently (cafeteria for example).

I do know the new soccer field for RSC will be going in on the Traub playground...so you'll see that go first. There are some drainage issues to resolve, but it's not a big deal. If you didn't know, RSC is adding a soccer team (and the first dorm for a 2-year college in OK).

In all honestly, I think it might serve their purposes better to bulldoze the building. It's old and not really in great repair. That style of school has always required a lot of money to keep them in a good state. And most of the classrooms at Traub never got renovated...so they're still rocking loud window A/C units, heaters that require actual physical lighting of the pilot light, a flat roof that never seems to be sealed properly an in a constant state of needing repair, outdated lighting that's not efficient (its 1970's fluorescent technology if not older), a lack of proper insulation, etc. The list goes on and on. If the classroom space is needed (which im not really sure it is), a new structure would be much better suited for RSC. Even if it takes a while to secure the funding for it.

[bombermwc]

The construction fencing is up at East Side and Soldier Creek. There's an auction on the 25th (tomorrow) for surplus items. Viewing at 8, bidding starts at 9. I haven't seen anything about Soldier Creek, so im guessing they are moving all of the stuff to East Side and doing it at one time.

I was hoping to grab a brick, but turns out the PTA of both sites will be gathering up bricks once demo is done and will be prepping/selling them as a fundraiser. I do not know yet if they will be placing them on a plaque or something. I have one from the old OCU Fieldhouse that looks something like this, but a brick is going to weigh a lot more so who knows.

Details will be posted on mid-del.net as they have them.

[bombermwc]

And no, that image is not my piece of the floor, it's just a google image of a similar plaque.