Parents concerned about Mid-Del schools closing

By Dave Jordan, NEWS 9

MIDWEST CITY, Okla. -- There's growing concern among parents in Midwest City and Del City after weeks of rumors have spread that two Mid-Del schools are set to close, and school officials said they're considering it as an option.

Sooner Rose Elementary has stood for years as a beacon of community pride and educational excellence.

"We love this school," parent Latrisha Bizzell said. "My son started in Pre-K. He's now in the fourth grade; he's a straight-A student."

When the rumors spread about Sooner Rose making a short list of possible school closures, the community raised their voice.

Mid-Del School administrators said safety, along with a lack of operating money and lower enrollment are some of the factors that put both Sooner Rose and West Side School under scrutiny. Sooner Rose sits squarely across the street from a revitalized area that has seen an increase in traffic.

"With Home Depot on the corner and at specific times of the day and specific times of the year, a large amount of traffic, it's a concern," Superintendent Bill Scoggan said.

A bigger concern to parents is that closing the schools is already a done deal.

"The biggest rumor right now is that you guys have already made up your mind. You've already carved it in stone and you're just having these meetings to appease the public," a concerned parent said.

The school board contends that the assumptions are not true and the public meetings like the one held Tuesday were set up to seek feedback from the community. As of now, school officials said no decisions have been made.

"Right now, it's a gathering of information stage," said Stacey Boyer of Mid-Del Schools. "We have not set any dates to have formal discussions for our board members."

As a result of discussion surrounding the increased amount of traffic around the school, Sooner's Rose entrance will change and officials plan to schedule some programs at West Side for later in the day.

Another public meeting is slated for Monday at Del City Elementary.