The Norman Public Schools Board of Education heard proposed policy changes, recommendations for the 2026-27 school calendar and updates on several 2023 bond projects during its Monday meeting.
Oklahoma Aviation Academy bid tabulations update
The news: The board heard several bid tabulations for the Oklahoma Aviation Academy.
The Aviation Academy is part of the 2023 bond issue. The board approved the academy’s facility in a November 2023 meeting. When completed, the academy will have a stand-alone facility on the property of the Max Westheimer Airport.
According to the NPS website, the academy provides students with cutting-edge science, technology, engineering, art and math experiences; innovative industry connections; and world-class academics with a backdrop of aviation and aerospace.
What they’re saying: Justin Milner, NPS associate superintendent and chief operating officer, and Brent Collins, vice president of operations at Manhattan Construction, presented the board with information on the 107 total bids included in the tabulation for the academy.
“As everybody’s familiar with the project site, we’re anxious to get this one started and underway,” Collins said.
The bid tabulations for the project ranged from structural concrete to landscaping. Collins detailed other installations included in the tabulations: roofing, waterproofing and caulking, flooring, painting and more.
Items such as the hangar door and operable glass partitions had only one bidder, which Collins said is due to the equipment’s specialized nature. Despite limited competition for some items, Collins said the company vetted the costs to ensure fair pricing on the bids.
The vote: The board approved the bid contract with Manhattan Construction.
Cleveland Elementary renovations bid tabulations update
The news: The board heard several bid tabulations for the renovations at Cleveland Elementary School with the base bid scope of work focused on interior remodeling of classrooms and restrooms.
According to the NPS website, additional renovations include parking lot improvements, mitigation of drainage issues and exterior repairs. Since the project is divided, the bulk of construction will be done during the summer.
What they’re saying: Collins said Manhattan Construction received 26 bids for various packages, all being small in scope.
“We did struggle with a little bit of competition on this one just because of the size, but fortunately, all those bids fell well within our individual line item budgets, so we didn’t feel the need to go out and remit any of them,” Collins said.
According to Collins, a majority of the remodeling will be in the basement. The construction company found contractors for demolition, framing and drywall, electrical, wheelchair lifts and more for this phase of the project.
Despite little competition between contractors, Collins said he felt comfortable with the bid selection presented.
The vote: The board approved the bid contract with Manhattan Construction.
Longfellow Middle School renovations bid tabulations update
The news: The board heard several bid tabulations for the renovations at Longfellow Middle School.
According to the NPS website, the renovations include restroom upgrades, new flooring and new stage lighting in the school’s auditorium. The renovations also extend to the choir and band classroom.
What they’re saying: Manhattan Construction received 16 bids, including packages for structural steel, flooring, drywall, acoustical panels and more.
Collins said the current renovations will focus on going back and improving spaces that did not get fully retouched in prior projects.
In addition to improvements inside the building, there will be an added canopy between the outbuildings on the site’s south side.
The vote: The board approved the bid contract with Manhattan Construction.
2026-27 school year calendar
The news: The board heard recommendations for the instructional calendar of the 2026-27 academic year.
What they’re saying: Holly Nevels, NPS Administrative Services Center director, said the two most considered items of the calendar were the dates of fall break and the placement of professional development days, which mean no school for students.
Nevels said the NPS Administrative Services Center sent a survey to students, teachers, district administrators, support and certified personnel. Over 60% of the 900 survey respondents wanted to leave fall break the weekend of the OU-Texas football game and add a professional development day on Oct. 7, 2026.
The 2026-27 calendar proposal also includes the week off for Thanksgiving from Nov. 23-27, 2026, and 10 days off for winter break from Dec. 21, 2026, to Jan. 1, 2027.
“This calendar looks fairly similar to the one we’re currently in, the one for next year,” Nevels said. “We’ve been able to establish a bit of a pattern here, which seems to be popular with everyone.”
The first day of school will be Aug. 13, 2026, following new teacher inductions. The final day will be May 20, 2027.
The vote: The board approved the recommendations.
Board of Education policies
The news: The board heard proposed changes for one of its policies under the Standards of Performance and Conduct for Teachers in compliance with Oklahoma Administrative Code.
The policy would add further information about due process related to sexual misconduct or the promotion of sexuality and sexual materials given the age of students and the educator’s charge.
What they’re saying: If approved, Nevels said the change to the policy will go into effect immediately, not the following school year.
Upon questioning, Nevels also clarified it is not the policy’s intent to affect school librarians.
The vote: The board approved the changes.
Amended budget
The news: The board heard updates on the 2024-25 budget.
What they’re saying: Tyler Jones, NPS chief financial officer, provided a projected summary of the budget.
According to Jones, revenue increases include $185,000 in school land earnings, $206,594 in motor vehicle collections, $500,000 in Norman Public Schools Foundation STEAM Labs Grant and nearly a $1.8 million increase in federal funding.
The only revenue decrease is $894,907 in special education allocations.
The budget summary also provided expense adjustments including a $3.9 million increase in salary and benefits, a $500,000 increase in contractual services or substitute teachers and a $1.7 million increase in federal program expenditures.
For child nutrition, the proposed budget includes a $260,000 increase for capital expenditures, intended to stay below the carryover limit while still investing in the program. Milner said the funds will be used to re-floor kitchens and cafeterias and clarified it is not permitted to use federal funds on student meals.
The building fund consists of increases in property insurance and expected interest revenues. An increase of $300,000 is allotted to the sinking fund to update the interest revenue estimate.
The vote: The board approved the budget.
2025 bond sales
The news: The board discussed two resolutions that would authorize the annual sale of the building and combined purpose bonds for the 2025 series.
Annual sales from the bonds provide access to funds needed to complete projects in bond packages. The 2019 bond package was designed to span five years while the 2023 bond package extends over 10 years.
The first resolution states the board will sell around $40.8 million from the combined purpose bonds. Around $33.4 million would come from the Feb. 12, 2019, authorization while around $7.3 million would come from the Feb. 14, 2023, authorization.
The second resolution states the board will also sell around $2.77 million from the building bonds.
The board will receive bids until Feb. 24, where it will choose the bidder binding the lowest rate of interest the bonds would bear.
What they’re saying: According to Zack Robinson, BOK Financial investment banker, the bonds are part of a separate series but are issued under the same financing plan established in 2023.
Since NPS sold bonds last year, Robinson said the amount decreased in anticipation of action from the Federal Reserve to cut its rate.
The vote: The board approved the resolutions.
This story was edited by Ana Barboza and Ismael Lele. Gretchen Schultz and Grace Rhodes copy edited this story.
