Attorney general ruling slows building plans

Adam Holt
News Writing Student

A vacated elementary school could allow OCCC to expand its child care services, as well as offer more outreach programs to children, adults and senior citizens. The hitch is how to acquire the building.

OCCC had planned on a donation of the former John Glenn Elementary School building, at 6501 S. Land, said J.B. Messer, Facilities Management director. The Western Heights School District wanted the college to have it.

However, the state attorney general ruled that such a transfer of state property would be illegal, according to an e-mail from Nancy Gerrity, OCCC’s attorney.

“Although Oklahoma law generally permits a school district to give real property to another school district, the Oklahoma Attorney General (Drew Edmonson) issued an opinion in March 2009 advising that a consolidated school district could not give real property to certain types of technical school districts operated by the boards of community colleges acting as the board of education for the school district,” Gerrity said.

Basically, a normal K-12 school district is not allowed to give a school building to the South Oklahoma City School District (OCCC) due to the fact that it is a technical area school district.

Nevertheless, there is hope for this deal to be worked out, Gerrity said.

At a recent meeting, the Board of Education for Western Heights School District authorized the donation of the old John Glenn Elementary School to the city of Oklahoma City, which is permitted under Oklahoma law.

Once the transfer to Oklahoma City is completed, the city will decide what happens to the property.

If Oklahoma City decides to dispose of the building, OCCC may try to acquire it, Gerrity said.

In the meantime, some plans for the building are moving forward cautiously.

OCCC’s Community Outreach and Education Center is already located in the former school building, Messer said.

He said the college is leasing it from the Western Heights School District.

The center provides non-credit courses to children, adults and senior citizens to improve basic skills in many school subjects.

But since the building is only being leased, Messer said, OCCC cannot make any changes or improvements to it.

If the college is able to purchase the building, plans to enlarge the Child Development Center and Lab School could be carried out.

“That would significantly expand the services that they can provide,” Messer said.

“They could also expand the programming and their student childcare service.”