Board Report - July 14

Board Reports

Board Approves Adjustments to School Hours

The Board of Education approved adjustments to school hours, effective with the new school year, as Union makes efforts to improve its bus services and meet the state’s requirement to add six hours to the school year – equivalent to an extra day.

Union is adding three minutes to the end of the school day Monday through Thursday for all but one of the school sites and keeping Friday Early Release Dates the same as last year’s times. The school hours as approved for the new year mean elementary classes will start at 8:15 a.m., the same as last year, but end at 3 p.m., for example.

Start and end times for the Union 7th and 8^th Grade Centers were adjusted by five minutes in the morning and afternoon to help with transportation issues.

Monday-Thursday School Hours

• Elementary Schools
  8:15 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
• High School
  8:35 a.m. – 3:40 p.m.
• Alternative School
  8:45 a.m. to 3:28 p.m.
• Freshman Academy
  8:45 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. 
• 8th Grade Center
  7:35 a.m. – 2:22 p.m. 
• 7th Grade Center
  7:45 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 
• 6th Grade Center
  9:25 a.m. – 4:10 p.m. 

Early Release Friday School Hours

• Elementary Schools
  8:15 a.m. to 2:17 p.m.
• High School
  8:35 a.m. – 2:57 p.m.
• Alternative School
  8:45 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. 
• Freshman Academy
  8:45 a.m. – 2:47 p.m.
• 8th Grade Center
  7:35 a.m. – 1:39 p.m.
• 7th Grade Center
  7:45 a.m. – 1:47 p.m.
• 6th Grade Center
  9:25 a.m. – 3:27 p.m.

House Bill 1087, effective July 1, increases the required number of instructional days from 180 to 181. For districts operating under a school-hours policy, the required minimum has increased from 1,080 to 1,086 hours.

The Board of Education had approved the 2025–2026 school calendar on March 10. To meet the new statutory requirements without altering the approved calendar or adding an additional day, it was recommended that three minutes be added to the end of each regular school day, while leaving early release Friday end times the same.

“This adjustment will bring the total instructional time to 1,087.52 hours,” said Superintendent Dr. John Federline (pictured). “This minor modification ensures compliance with House Bill 1087 while maintaining the integrity of the existing calendar. Additionally, the bell schedule for the 8th Grade Center, as well as the 7th Grade Center, have been adjusted to begin and end five minutes earlier than the 2024–2025 school year. This change allows for the consolidation of seventh and eighth grade bus routes to improve transportation efficiency.”

District to Expand Reading Partners

The Board voted unanimously to renew and expand Union’s relationship with Reading Partners to provide reading tutors to students at ten elementary sites at a cost of $100,000. According to Theresa Kiger, executive director of Elementary Education (pictured), Union will be the only district in the Tulsa metro area to continue the partnership in the upcoming school year.

“We are so excited, as we will be expanding to four school sites – Ellen Ochoa, Boevers, Moore and Jefferson,” said Kiger. Last year, Reading Partners was at six Union elementary sites – Roy Clark, Darnaby, Jarman, McAuliffe, Peters and Rosa Parks.

In the 2024-25 school year, 228 volunteer tutors were assisted by 33 staff and AmeriCorps tutors. Reading Partners hit the following milestones:

• 232 students enrolled
• 8,665 sessions were delivered
• Students individually received an average of 37 sessions
• 2,950 books were distributed to children for at-home libraries

The program will be paid for by Reading Sufficiency Act funds.

Board Approves Construction Contracts for Union 6^th/7^th Grade Centers Renovation

 

Board members approved construction contracts, amounting to $5.89 million, to Nabholz Construction, for renovations planned at the 6^th and 7^th Grade Centers.

Dr. Josh  Robinson, director of Operations (pictured), said the work will cover the next phase of construction as Union plans to renovate the middle section of the classroom building and will provide new HVAC systems, new lighting systems and flooring.

Board members also approved a change order for $152,136 in work at the school concerning restrooms. The scope of restroom revisions required by City of Tulsa – partitions and door hardware, and concrete curbs at restroom partition walls – were necessary for project completion. There are no additional monetary increases to the original contract, as the money will be paid from already Board-approved contingency funds, he said.

In other action, the Board:

• Approved architectural design services with Dewberry Architects, Inc., for $109,940 to replace the old elevator at the UMAC.
• Approved the purchase of two SUVs and a van from Cooper Fleet Services for $162,937 for transportation purposes.
• Approved the purchase of 10 school buses from Holt Truck Centers for $1.6 million. The purchase of these buses will allow transportation to replace or re-allocate buses 10 years or older with mileage exceeding 100,000 miles.
• Approved the purchase of 2 Chevrolet Tahoes from Jim Norton for a total of $131,256.
• Approved an agreement with Reading Partners to provide reading tutors at several elementary schools. Reading Partners offers students a one-to-one, 45-minute session twice a week during the 2025-2026 school year.

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