Editor’s note: This story was updated at 3:04 p.m. on Feb. 27 to clarify information relating to the ballot’s language.
Norman, Moore and South Oklahoma City residents in the Moore Norman Technology Center district will vote on a $90 million bond for improvements to the center Tuesday.
The ballot language notes that Moore Norman Technology center will be able to borrow $90 million and levy a tax to cover the principal and issuance costs and interest. The ballot language states that the bond’s proceeds would be used for improvements such as the construction and equipment of classroom buildings, the construction of safe rooms and the remodeling and renovation of existing buildings.
The bond would also fund the center’s “Student Investment Plan,” which would upgrade and maintain curriculum including construction, electrical, HVAC, architectural and mechanical design, and aviation maintenance technology; expand and modernize healthcare programs; and upgrade equipment, technology and construction for a Business Workforce Development Training Center, according to the Moore Norman Technology Center’s website.
According to the website, the Moore Norman Technology Center turns away qualified applicants due to limited classroom capacity every year, and placed 25% of qualified applicants on waitlists in the past year.
“We have set our sights on providing a seat for every qualified student by 2033. This ambitious goal reflects a bold commitment to our students, community and regional workforce,” the website reads. “To achieve this goal, we must address the capacity challenges which are a direct result of our growing success and the increased demand for skilled workers in our community.”
The investment would require a 1.25% property tax increase of around $40 per year per average household for ten years, the website notes.
If approved, preliminary work on the projects would begin in the fall, and work for major projects would begin in 2026 with targeted completion expected for 2033, according to the website’s “Frequently Asked Questions” section.
On Tuesday, State Rep. Jared Deck (D-44) published an opinion column in The Oklahoman arguing for the approval of the bond. Deck, who served on the Moore Norman Technology Center board of education for two years, wrote that increased capacity for the center would create more highly-trained employees for the local workforce.
“These are the jobs of the future, and tech centers are needed to fill them …,” Deck wrote. “As a kid, I experienced firsthand how career tech inspires personal and professional growth. When serving on the MNTC Board, I witnessed a students-first philosophy put into action and the trustworthy stewardship of our tax dollars. CareerTech is a worthy investment in educating the workforce of the future, and the March 4 MNTC bond is worthy of our Yes vote.”
In 2016, voters approved a $60 million bond that created 99,308 square feet of new construction and 152,363 square feet of modernization at the Franklin Road Campus, according to the website.
Established in 1972, the Moore Norman Technology Center offers career programs in aerospace and aviation, cosmetology, business and finance, computers and information technology, health and safety, construction and transportation.
On Friday, Oklahomans for Responsible Economic Development is hosting a community town hall in which OU economics professor Cynthia Rogers will give a presentation on the $90 million bond vote.
This story was edited by Anusha Fathepure, Ana Barboza and Ismael Lele. Gretchen Schultz and Avery Avery copy edited this story.
Thomas Pablo reports on Norman city politics and education. Thomas joined the Daily over a year ago for both the experience and journey of reporting Oklahoma affairs. It’s a world Thomas hopes to document and inform, even at the local level. Thomas can be reached at thomaspablo080@gmail.com.