Over the summer, Stefanie Mitchell was one of four Oklahomans who participated in the 40th annual Community Development Institute (CDI) at the University of Central Arkansas, successfully completing her Year 2 training!
CDI is a premier three-year program designed to equip community leaders with the tools to strengthen local economies, leverage community assets, and build impactful partnerships.
“I had a wonderful experience completing Year 2 at the Community Development Institute!" said Stefanie. "Rural community development definitely has its unique challenges, but this program reminded me that Westville isn't alone. I’m bringing back a wealth of information to support our school district and town, along with connections to a fantastic network of individuals and organizations doing this vital work across the region.”
We are incredibly proud of Stefanie and can’t wait to see the positive impact her new insights and connections will bring to our school district and community!
CDI is a premier three-year program designed to equip community leaders with the tools to strengthen local economies, leverage community assets, and build impactful partnerships.
“I had a wonderful experience completing Year 2 at the Community Development Institute!" said Stefanie. "Rural community development definitely has its unique challenges, but this program reminded me that Westville isn't alone. I’m bringing back a wealth of information to support our school district and town, along with connections to a fantastic network of individuals and organizations doing this vital work across the region.”
We are incredibly proud of Stefanie and can’t wait to see the positive impact her new insights and connections will bring to our school district and community!
We want everyone to have a successful voting day.
If you are asked to vote with a Provisional Ballot, it most likely means you are trying to vote in the wrong precinct. You must vote at the precinct that you are registered in.
If you vote provisionally, you MUST use your 911 address, NOT a rural route or PO Box. If you do not use your 911 address, your vote will most likely not count. Per the Election Board, there are some cases where it could still count.
You can check your correct polling location at https://okvoterportal.okelections.gov/
If you have any problems voting, you can call the Adair Co. Election Board at 918-696-7221
If you are asked to vote with a Provisional Ballot, it most likely means you are trying to vote in the wrong precinct. You must vote at the precinct that you are registered in.
If you vote provisionally, you MUST use your 911 address, NOT a rural route or PO Box. If you do not use your 911 address, your vote will most likely not count. Per the Election Board, there are some cases where it could still count.
You can check your correct polling location at https://okvoterportal.okelections.gov/
If you have any problems voting, you can call the Adair Co. Election Board at 918-696-7221
Important Information Regarding School-Based Therapy Services
A message from our Director of Social Work, Jenna Sitsler:
Some of our families may have recently received our School-Based Therapy flyer. We want to clearly reassure you that your child will NEVER receive mental health therapy without your knowledge and full consent.
Here is how school-based therapy works at Westville Public Schools:
Outside Partners: Westville partners with CREOKS and other trusted outside mental health agencies to provide specialized services.
Parent Involvement Required: Parents/guardians must actively participate in the intake process and provide formal consent before any ongoing therapy begins.
The School’s Role: WPS simply helps connect families to these services and helps facilitate session times on campus.
Counselors vs. Therapy: Our school counselors regularly check in with students for routine academic and emotional support, but ongoing mental health therapy is always handled by licensed outside agencies with full parent approval.
We are here to partner with you to support your student! If you need support or would like to make a referral, visit the Family Support page for resources and referral forms. https://www.westville.k12.ok.us/page/family-support-center
Check out this week’s schedule and see what’s happening across Westville High School & Middle School.
Come out, support our students, and help us make it a great week! 💜💛
#WestvilleYellowjackets #DoRight #YellowjacketPride
Come out, support our students, and help us make it a great week! 💜💛
#WestvilleYellowjackets #DoRight #YellowjacketPride
Q: How do a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) and the '85/15' model protect taxpayers from construction cost overruns?
A: These are contract-level legal protections built directly into our construction agreements to shield taxpayers:
• Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP): The school district utilizes a fixed-price GMP contract with the builder. Under this agreement, the general contractor is legally obligated to complete the projects at a locked maximum cost and must absorb any material price increases, labor shortages, or cost overruns themselves. Taxpayers are 100% shielded from rising construction costs.
• The 85/15 Contingency Protection: In accordance with professional public finance standards, the project budget is divided so that hard construction contracts are capped at 85% of our funding. The remaining 15% is locked in a strict contingency reserve to handle unexpected site discoveries or structural conditions without exceeding our voter-approved budget limits. The school cannot divert funds from this contingency to fund unrelated projects.
If you have questions, please submit them here: https://www.westville.k12.ok.us/forms/bond-faqs
A: These are contract-level legal protections built directly into our construction agreements to shield taxpayers:
• Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP): The school district utilizes a fixed-price GMP contract with the builder. Under this agreement, the general contractor is legally obligated to complete the projects at a locked maximum cost and must absorb any material price increases, labor shortages, or cost overruns themselves. Taxpayers are 100% shielded from rising construction costs.
• The 85/15 Contingency Protection: In accordance with professional public finance standards, the project budget is divided so that hard construction contracts are capped at 85% of our funding. The remaining 15% is locked in a strict contingency reserve to handle unexpected site discoveries or structural conditions without exceeding our voter-approved budget limits. The school cannot divert funds from this contingency to fund unrelated projects.
If you have questions, please submit them here: https://www.westville.k12.ok.us/forms/bond-faqs
Q: What strict safeguards are in place to prevent misappropriation of bond funds?
A: The Board of Education takes the stewardship of public funds with absolute seriousness. Oklahoma law and school district policies have built-in legal blockades to ensure every penny is protected:
1. Strict Legal Ballot Lock: Under the Bond Transparency Act of 2017, the school district is legally prohibited from spending bond proceeds on anything other than the exact physical projects listed on the voter ballot. It is a felony offense to divert these funds. The school district cannot divert funds from a project to another project.
2. Sinking Fund Separation: All bond proceeds are placed in a completely separate, dedicated "Sinking Fund" bank account. They are never mixed with the school's general operating funds. By state law, bond money cannot be used to pay for teacher or administrator salaries, bonuses, utility bills, or daily operating costs.
3. Independent Citizen Oversight Committee: To guarantee complete public accountability, the Board of Education will formally establish an independent Citizen Oversight Committee at its September board meeting if the bonds pass. Modeled after successful public frameworks like Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS), this committee will consist of independent local residents, business owners, and taxpayers. They will meet regularly to review construction progress, monitor all expenditures, and report directly back to the public to ensure every dollar is spent exactly as promised.
4. Independent State Audits: Every single transaction is tracked and subject to annual, independent state-certified audits that are filed directly with the Oklahoma State Department of Education and the State Auditor and Inspector's Office.
If you have questions, please submit them here: https://www.westville.k12.ok.us/forms/bond-faqs
A: The Board of Education takes the stewardship of public funds with absolute seriousness. Oklahoma law and school district policies have built-in legal blockades to ensure every penny is protected:
1. Strict Legal Ballot Lock: Under the Bond Transparency Act of 2017, the school district is legally prohibited from spending bond proceeds on anything other than the exact physical projects listed on the voter ballot. It is a felony offense to divert these funds. The school district cannot divert funds from a project to another project.
2. Sinking Fund Separation: All bond proceeds are placed in a completely separate, dedicated "Sinking Fund" bank account. They are never mixed with the school's general operating funds. By state law, bond money cannot be used to pay for teacher or administrator salaries, bonuses, utility bills, or daily operating costs.
3. Independent Citizen Oversight Committee: To guarantee complete public accountability, the Board of Education will formally establish an independent Citizen Oversight Committee at its September board meeting if the bonds pass. Modeled after successful public frameworks like Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS), this committee will consist of independent local residents, business owners, and taxpayers. They will meet regularly to review construction progress, monitor all expenditures, and report directly back to the public to ensure every dollar is spent exactly as promised.
4. Independent State Audits: Every single transaction is tracked and subject to annual, independent state-certified audits that are filed directly with the Oklahoma State Department of Education and the State Auditor and Inspector's Office.
If you have questions, please submit them here: https://www.westville.k12.ok.us/forms/bond-faqs
Q: What is the Westville Unified Sports program, and how will the proposed gym expansion impact it?
A: Westville Unified Sports is an incredibly proud, inclusive Special Olympics program that joins students with and without disabilities on the same team to train, play, and compete side-by-side. Guided by the principles of friendship, inclusion, and the belief that 'everyone belongs,' Unified Sports breaks down stereotypes, builds self-confidence, and fosters school spirit. You do not have to be a varsity athlete to join—it is a space where every student has a place on the team.
• The Space Constraint: While our Unified Special Olympics athletes and partners are deeply dedicated, our severe lack of physical gym space heavily limits their practice times. With 32 separate school and community groups competing for court space, finding consistent training slots is extremely difficult.
• The Gym Solution: Building the new multipurpose event center under Proposition 2 will provide the dedicated space and court schedule times required to expand the Unified program. More students will have the opportunity to participate and wear our colors. Furthermore, having a modern, fully ADA-compliant, regulation-sized facility will allow Westville Public Schools to host regional Unified Sports tournaments on our home campus for the very first time, welcoming teams from other schools and establishing our district as a regional leader in athletic and social inclusion.
If you have questions, please submit them here: https://www.westville.k12.ok.us/forms/bond-faqs
A: Westville Unified Sports is an incredibly proud, inclusive Special Olympics program that joins students with and without disabilities on the same team to train, play, and compete side-by-side. Guided by the principles of friendship, inclusion, and the belief that 'everyone belongs,' Unified Sports breaks down stereotypes, builds self-confidence, and fosters school spirit. You do not have to be a varsity athlete to join—it is a space where every student has a place on the team.
• The Space Constraint: While our Unified Special Olympics athletes and partners are deeply dedicated, our severe lack of physical gym space heavily limits their practice times. With 32 separate school and community groups competing for court space, finding consistent training slots is extremely difficult.
• The Gym Solution: Building the new multipurpose event center under Proposition 2 will provide the dedicated space and court schedule times required to expand the Unified program. More students will have the opportunity to participate and wear our colors. Furthermore, having a modern, fully ADA-compliant, regulation-sized facility will allow Westville Public Schools to host regional Unified Sports tournaments on our home campus for the very first time, welcoming teams from other schools and establishing our district as a regional leader in athletic and social inclusion.
If you have questions, please submit them here: https://www.westville.k12.ok.us/forms/bond-faqs
Q: How do our facility limitations impact student morale and local business revenue?
A: When we host home athletic games or community events, our visiting schools and neighbors see the worn, non-ADA-compliant condition of our facilities. This causes low morale among our students, who feel their home court does not reflect the pride and effort they put into their school. Beyond morale, our single gym forces severe logistical bottlenecks:
• High School boys' athletics is currently forced to practice during the first hour simply due to court limitations. Building the new gymnasium will allow both the boys' and girls' athletic programs to practice at the same time during the 7th hour, expanding available practice times and simplifying transportation for families.
• Our current gymnasium cannot host more than one basketball practice at a time, forcing teams to split court times and pushing practices outside of school hours. Our secondary little gym is not regulation-sized, making it completely unsuitable for full-court varsity practices or competitions.
• Furthermore, because our facilities do not meet modern OSSAA athletic and accessibility standards, Westville is completely disqualified from hosting regional, district, or invitational tournaments. Tournaments are major economic drivers for rural communities. When visitors come to town, they buy gas, eat at our local diners, and shop at our local businesses. By failing to host these events, our school’s tight space causes our local business owners to lose out on thousands of dollars in regional economic revenue every year.
If you have questions, please submit them here: https://www.westville.k12.ok.us/forms/bond-faqs
A: When we host home athletic games or community events, our visiting schools and neighbors see the worn, non-ADA-compliant condition of our facilities. This causes low morale among our students, who feel their home court does not reflect the pride and effort they put into their school. Beyond morale, our single gym forces severe logistical bottlenecks:
• High School boys' athletics is currently forced to practice during the first hour simply due to court limitations. Building the new gymnasium will allow both the boys' and girls' athletic programs to practice at the same time during the 7th hour, expanding available practice times and simplifying transportation for families.
• Our current gymnasium cannot host more than one basketball practice at a time, forcing teams to split court times and pushing practices outside of school hours. Our secondary little gym is not regulation-sized, making it completely unsuitable for full-court varsity practices or competitions.
• Furthermore, because our facilities do not meet modern OSSAA athletic and accessibility standards, Westville is completely disqualified from hosting regional, district, or invitational tournaments. Tournaments are major economic drivers for rural communities. When visitors come to town, they buy gas, eat at our local diners, and shop at our local businesses. By failing to host these events, our school’s tight space causes our local business owners to lose out on thousands of dollars in regional economic revenue every year.
If you have questions, please submit them here: https://www.westville.k12.ok.us/forms/bond-faqs
Q: How does physical education space impact our student body, and how does it relate to local health trends?
A: Physical activity is a biological requirement for academic success. Peer-reviewed pediatric research proves that regular physical education directly stimulates brain-cell growth and neural connections, improving memory, focus, and reading comprehension across all grades. Daily physical activity is also a critical public health requirement: Adair County currently faces a 45% obesity rate, which is significantly higher than the Oklahoma average. Freeing up indoor space is vital to giving 100% of our elementary students daily, structured movement for healthy physical development.
Currently, our elementary grades are scheduled so that an entire grade level must utilize the little gym floor at the exact same time, creating heavy congestion. Our Kindergarten students do have a scheduled PE section, but our Pre-K students must use the coach's lunch period as free play in the gym because no other open slots exist in the daily schedule. Creating a new gym gives us the flexibility to schedule classes safely and uncrowded. Our current gym is also a scheduling bottleneck: 32 different school and community groups actively compete for access to only two gym spaces, providing a combined availability of just 14 class periods during the school day. New state legislation requiring an additional 20 minutes of daily recess for K-5 students further increases the demand for indoor activity space during inclement weather.
A: Physical activity is a biological requirement for academic success. Peer-reviewed pediatric research proves that regular physical education directly stimulates brain-cell growth and neural connections, improving memory, focus, and reading comprehension across all grades. Daily physical activity is also a critical public health requirement: Adair County currently faces a 45% obesity rate, which is significantly higher than the Oklahoma average. Freeing up indoor space is vital to giving 100% of our elementary students daily, structured movement for healthy physical development.
Currently, our elementary grades are scheduled so that an entire grade level must utilize the little gym floor at the exact same time, creating heavy congestion. Our Kindergarten students do have a scheduled PE section, but our Pre-K students must use the coach's lunch period as free play in the gym because no other open slots exist in the daily schedule. Creating a new gym gives us the flexibility to schedule classes safely and uncrowded. Our current gym is also a scheduling bottleneck: 32 different school and community groups actively compete for access to only two gym spaces, providing a combined availability of just 14 class periods during the school day. New state legislation requiring an additional 20 minutes of daily recess for K-5 students further increases the demand for indoor activity space during inclement weather.
Q: What is the actual physical condition and history of our current gym?
A: Our existing gym has a unique history. Originally constructed as a World War II-era airplane hangar, the building was relocated, repurposed as a school gymnasium, and has served generations of students. However, decades of heavy use have taken a severe physical toll, and it suffers from major structural, safety, and mechanical challenges:
• Court Safety Clearance: The playing area surrounding the court boundary has only approximately one foot of clearance from the surrounding brick walls in some areas, creating a severe collision and injury risk during active, fast-paced play.
• Bleacher Hazards: The cut-out areas beneath the home-side bleachers present a constant injury risk for rolled ankles and head injuries.
• Referee Shortage: The district has experienced increasing difficulty securing certified referees because officials are concerned about player and referee safety in our extremely tight gym layout.
• Bathroom & Shower Bottlenecks: There are only two showers available for the girls and three for the boys. Several locker rooms are cramped directly under the gym bleachers, and not everyone has room for a locker. Additionally, there are only two toilet stalls available for the little gym, and there is no dedicated place for PE or youth athletic kids to dress out.
• Water Bottleneck: There is only one water fountain in the entire gym to serve over 70+ kids every hour.
If you have questions, please submit them here: https://www.westville.k12.ok.us/forms/bond-faqs
A: Our existing gym has a unique history. Originally constructed as a World War II-era airplane hangar, the building was relocated, repurposed as a school gymnasium, and has served generations of students. However, decades of heavy use have taken a severe physical toll, and it suffers from major structural, safety, and mechanical challenges:
• Court Safety Clearance: The playing area surrounding the court boundary has only approximately one foot of clearance from the surrounding brick walls in some areas, creating a severe collision and injury risk during active, fast-paced play.
• Bleacher Hazards: The cut-out areas beneath the home-side bleachers present a constant injury risk for rolled ankles and head injuries.
• Referee Shortage: The district has experienced increasing difficulty securing certified referees because officials are concerned about player and referee safety in our extremely tight gym layout.
• Bathroom & Shower Bottlenecks: There are only two showers available for the girls and three for the boys. Several locker rooms are cramped directly under the gym bleachers, and not everyone has room for a locker. Additionally, there are only two toilet stalls available for the little gym, and there is no dedicated place for PE or youth athletic kids to dress out.
• Water Bottleneck: There is only one water fountain in the entire gym to serve over 70+ kids every hour.
If you have questions, please submit them here: https://www.westville.k12.ok.us/forms/bond-faqs
Q: What are the consequences for our school and kids if these propositions fail on August 25th?
A: A "No" vote does not make our facility problems go away—it simply delays the solution while driving up the ultimate cost:
1. Trailers Remain: Our high school students will continue to attend core academic classes in temporary, detached portable trailers that represent a significant campus security vulnerability and suffer from chronic HVAC failure.
2. Rising Construction Costs: Construction inflation consistently runs significantly higher than general inflation. Delaying these upgrades guarantees that our community will pay more in the future for the exact same classrooms.
3. Continued Gym & Ag Bottlenecks: Our 100+ Vo-Ag students will continue training in overcrowded workshops, and our elementary physical education classes will remain packed with entire grades combined on a single floor.
4. Future "Tax Shock" Risk: If we allow our sinking fund millage base to lapse to 0.0 mills, we lose our borrowing capacity. When a major roof collapse, HVAC failure, or academic emergency inevitably forces us to run a bond down the road, we will be forced to ask for a massive, sudden tax rate spike rather than the flat, stable rate we can secure today.
If you have questions, please submit them here: https://www.westville.k12.ok.us/forms/bond-faqs
A: A "No" vote does not make our facility problems go away—it simply delays the solution while driving up the ultimate cost:
1. Trailers Remain: Our high school students will continue to attend core academic classes in temporary, detached portable trailers that represent a significant campus security vulnerability and suffer from chronic HVAC failure.
2. Rising Construction Costs: Construction inflation consistently runs significantly higher than general inflation. Delaying these upgrades guarantees that our community will pay more in the future for the exact same classrooms.
3. Continued Gym & Ag Bottlenecks: Our 100+ Vo-Ag students will continue training in overcrowded workshops, and our elementary physical education classes will remain packed with entire grades combined on a single floor.
4. Future "Tax Shock" Risk: If we allow our sinking fund millage base to lapse to 0.0 mills, we lose our borrowing capacity. When a major roof collapse, HVAC failure, or academic emergency inevitably forces us to run a bond down the road, we will be forced to ask for a massive, sudden tax rate spike rather than the flat, stable rate we can secure today.
If you have questions, please submit them here: https://www.westville.k12.ok.us/forms/bond-faqs
Follow along, stay in the loop, and see what’s happening across Westville Public Schools.
Check out our Westville Social Media Directory for a full list of district-affiliated pages and ways to connect with our schools and community: https://www.westville.k12.ok.us/page/social-media-directory
Check out our Westville Social Media Directory for a full list of district-affiliated pages and ways to connect with our schools and community: https://www.westville.k12.ok.us/page/social-media-directory
Q: Why did the School Board decide not to include a storm shelter in the proposed Event Center bond?
A: Student and staff safety is our absolute priority, and the need for a storm shelter is a very real concern for our families. The decision to remove the storm shelter from this specific bond proposal was a deliberate, strategic choice made by the School Board to protect local property owners from a significantly higher tax increase while still aggressively pursuing a safe shelter for our campus.
Rather than funding this expensive project through local property taxes, the district is pursuing federal safety grants. It will also feature a fully integrated performance and presentation stage. In July of 2026, Westville Public Schools formally submitted an application for FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program grant.
What the FEMA BRIC Grant Will Build: If approved, this federal grant will fund the construction of a state-of-the-art community storm shelter designed to double as a multipurpose indoor activity space. This space will be approximately the size of a standard basketball court, providing a safe, climate-controlled indoor area for daily elementary physical education, recess, and school assemblies. It will also feature a fully integrated performance and presentation stage.
-Two Additional Classrooms: To maximize building efficiency, the grant-funded design incorporates two brand-new classrooms. One classroom will be dedicated to our Westville Band program to give our student musicians a proper, acoustically optimized rehearsal space, and the second is tentatively planned to serve as a Choir room (with final utilization to be determined by the Board). Crucially, the storm shelter's thick, reinforced concrete structure is engineered to act as a highly effective sound barrier, keeping high-volume musical rehearsals beautifully insulated and preventing noise distractions for students in surrounding academic areas.
-Why Westville is a Strong Candidate: FEMA BRIC funding allocations are heavily weighted by population size and community criteria. Westville Public Schools met 100% of the stringent federal eligibility criteria required to receive this funding.
The Bottom Line: Incorporating a storm shelter directly into the August 2026 bond proposal would have dramatically increased the total cost of the project and forced a much larger tax increase on our local property owners. By aggressively applying for the FEMA BRIC grant, the Board is working to secure a state-of-the-art storm shelter and two extra classrooms using federal safety dollars rather than local property tax dollars.
If you have questions, please submit them here: https://www.westville.k12.ok.us/forms/bond-faqs
A: Student and staff safety is our absolute priority, and the need for a storm shelter is a very real concern for our families. The decision to remove the storm shelter from this specific bond proposal was a deliberate, strategic choice made by the School Board to protect local property owners from a significantly higher tax increase while still aggressively pursuing a safe shelter for our campus.
Rather than funding this expensive project through local property taxes, the district is pursuing federal safety grants. It will also feature a fully integrated performance and presentation stage. In July of 2026, Westville Public Schools formally submitted an application for FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program grant.
What the FEMA BRIC Grant Will Build: If approved, this federal grant will fund the construction of a state-of-the-art community storm shelter designed to double as a multipurpose indoor activity space. This space will be approximately the size of a standard basketball court, providing a safe, climate-controlled indoor area for daily elementary physical education, recess, and school assemblies. It will also feature a fully integrated performance and presentation stage.
-Two Additional Classrooms: To maximize building efficiency, the grant-funded design incorporates two brand-new classrooms. One classroom will be dedicated to our Westville Band program to give our student musicians a proper, acoustically optimized rehearsal space, and the second is tentatively planned to serve as a Choir room (with final utilization to be determined by the Board). Crucially, the storm shelter's thick, reinforced concrete structure is engineered to act as a highly effective sound barrier, keeping high-volume musical rehearsals beautifully insulated and preventing noise distractions for students in surrounding academic areas.
-Why Westville is a Strong Candidate: FEMA BRIC funding allocations are heavily weighted by population size and community criteria. Westville Public Schools met 100% of the stringent federal eligibility criteria required to receive this funding.
The Bottom Line: Incorporating a storm shelter directly into the August 2026 bond proposal would have dramatically increased the total cost of the project and forced a much larger tax increase on our local property owners. By aggressively applying for the FEMA BRIC grant, the Board is working to secure a state-of-the-art storm shelter and two extra classrooms using federal safety dollars rather than local property tax dollars.
If you have questions, please submit them here: https://www.westville.k12.ok.us/forms/bond-faqs
Q: Why does Westville have more employees compared to peer districts of similar student enrollment?
A: Westville is proud to offer a much wider range of specialized educational programs and direct student support services than many peer districts of similar size. To operate local, comprehensive programs directly on our campus—such as full-day Alternative Education (which many districts do not offer locally), robust Special Education services, early childhood development, and extensive career-technical vocational programs (like our expanded Vo-Ag and FCCLA chapters)—we invest in dedicated, specialized personnel. This keeps our student-to-staff ratios low, ensures our children receive direct, individual support, and keeps our rural students from having to travel to other towns for vocational or alternative learning opportunities.
If you have questions, please submit them here: https://www.westville.k12.ok.us/forms/bond-faqs
A: Westville is proud to offer a much wider range of specialized educational programs and direct student support services than many peer districts of similar size. To operate local, comprehensive programs directly on our campus—such as full-day Alternative Education (which many districts do not offer locally), robust Special Education services, early childhood development, and extensive career-technical vocational programs (like our expanded Vo-Ag and FCCLA chapters)—we invest in dedicated, specialized personnel. This keeps our student-to-staff ratios low, ensures our children receive direct, individual support, and keeps our rural students from having to travel to other towns for vocational or alternative learning opportunities.
If you have questions, please submit them here: https://www.westville.k12.ok.us/forms/bond-faqs
Q: How can the school project property tax numbers if the final interest rate is not yet known?
A: The numbers provided are projections created by the district’s bond advisor, Stephen H. McDonald & Associates. These projections use estimated interest rates of around 5% and the most current financial information available. The actual interest rate will be determined only after the bonds are sold, following voter approval. Therefore, both the tax impact and repayment schedule are estimates and not guarantees. The estimated interest rates for the general obligation bonds vary based on current and historical financial market data.
Q: Can the school guarantee how many years taxpayers will be paying on these bonds?
A: The financing model currently projects a 16-year repayment period. The actual repayment schedule will depend on the final interest rate, net assessed valuation, and financing structure at the time the bonds are issued.
Q: Why can't the school get a letter guaranteeing the interest rate before the election?
A: The final interest rate cannot be established before voters authorize the bonds. If approved, the bonds would be sold after the election, and the actual interest rate would be determined at that time. That is why the district uses projections from its bond advisor when estimating the tax impact.
Q: Why are the projections based on a 5% interest rate when other interest rates are higher?
A: School bonds differ from consumer loans, mortgages, and corporate debt. The estimated interest rate of around 5% is a planning assumption provided by Stephen H. McDonald & Associates, based on data from the municipal bond market. This estimate is used for projecting costs but is not a guaranteed final rate. The interest rates for general obligation bonds may vary, as they are based on current and historical financial market data.
Q: Did the Board of Education follow the legal requirements of Title 62 when proposing the bond?
A: The district has worked with its financial professionals throughout the process to meet the applicable legal, election, and public disclosure requirements. The district’s Bond Transparency Act information, including the proposed projects, costs, and existing debt, was publicly posted on July 17, 2026.
If you have questions, please submit them here: https://www.westville.k12.ok.us/forms/bond-faqs
A: The numbers provided are projections created by the district’s bond advisor, Stephen H. McDonald & Associates. These projections use estimated interest rates of around 5% and the most current financial information available. The actual interest rate will be determined only after the bonds are sold, following voter approval. Therefore, both the tax impact and repayment schedule are estimates and not guarantees. The estimated interest rates for the general obligation bonds vary based on current and historical financial market data.
Q: Can the school guarantee how many years taxpayers will be paying on these bonds?
A: The financing model currently projects a 16-year repayment period. The actual repayment schedule will depend on the final interest rate, net assessed valuation, and financing structure at the time the bonds are issued.
Q: Why can't the school get a letter guaranteeing the interest rate before the election?
A: The final interest rate cannot be established before voters authorize the bonds. If approved, the bonds would be sold after the election, and the actual interest rate would be determined at that time. That is why the district uses projections from its bond advisor when estimating the tax impact.
Q: Why are the projections based on a 5% interest rate when other interest rates are higher?
A: School bonds differ from consumer loans, mortgages, and corporate debt. The estimated interest rate of around 5% is a planning assumption provided by Stephen H. McDonald & Associates, based on data from the municipal bond market. This estimate is used for projecting costs but is not a guaranteed final rate. The interest rates for general obligation bonds may vary, as they are based on current and historical financial market data.
Q: Did the Board of Education follow the legal requirements of Title 62 when proposing the bond?
A: The district has worked with its financial professionals throughout the process to meet the applicable legal, election, and public disclosure requirements. The district’s Bond Transparency Act information, including the proposed projects, costs, and existing debt, was publicly posted on July 17, 2026.
If you have questions, please submit them here: https://www.westville.k12.ok.us/forms/bond-faqs
Q: Why can't the school just pay for these buildings using state funding, federal grants, or TSET grants?
A: Oklahoma school funding is strictly regulated by state law. Our General Fund and federal grants are legally restricted to operational expenses—such as teacher salaries, classroom utilities, textbooks, and learning programs. It is legally impermissible to use these funds for major brick-and-mortar capital construction.
We have actively applied for and tried to secure funding through the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) legacy grants in the past. While the district has successfully received several smaller operational grants in recent years to support student programs, it is highly unlikely that we will ever be able to secure a capital grant of this magnitude to fund a major physical project like a permanent classroom wing or event center. The only legal and practical mechanism the State of Oklahoma provides for school districts to construct permanent buildings is through voter-approved Sinking Fund bonds.
A: Oklahoma school funding is strictly regulated by state law. Our General Fund and federal grants are legally restricted to operational expenses—such as teacher salaries, classroom utilities, textbooks, and learning programs. It is legally impermissible to use these funds for major brick-and-mortar capital construction.
We have actively applied for and tried to secure funding through the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) legacy grants in the past. While the district has successfully received several smaller operational grants in recent years to support student programs, it is highly unlikely that we will ever be able to secure a capital grant of this magnitude to fund a major physical project like a permanent classroom wing or event center. The only legal and practical mechanism the State of Oklahoma provides for school districts to construct permanent buildings is through voter-approved Sinking Fund bonds.
Q: Why are permanent indoor corridors necessary? Many of us walked between buildings in the rain, snow, and heat when we went to school here, and we did just fine.
A: That is absolutely true, and the resilience of our older generations of Yellowjackets is a proud part of Westville’s heritage. Many of our current school board members, administrators, teachers, and local business owners walked those same outdoor paths between classes in all kinds of Oklahoma weather.
However, while the weather hasn't changed in 45 years, the standards for school safety and academic instruction have evolved significantly:
-Campus Security is Our #1 Priority: Forty-five years ago, school campuses could operate safely with wide-open layouts and multiple unlocked exterior doors. Today, modern school safety protocols require secure, single-point-of-entry buildings. Having students constantly walk outside to detached portable trailers makes it incredibly difficult to maintain a locked, secure perimeter and introduces a constant campus security vulnerability.
-Maximizing Modern Instructional Time: To help our students succeed and meet today's rigorous state standards, every minute of the school day counts. Transitioning outside during severe storms, freezing temperatures, or high heat breaks students' academic focus. Dealing with damp clothes, wet textbooks, and high HVAC humidity in portable trailers creates a noisy and highly disruptive learning environment that cuts directly into valuable classroom time.
-A Commitment to Progress: Just as previous generations of Westville leaders worked hard to improve upon what they had, our goal today is to continue that legacy of progress. By constructing permanent, secure indoor corridors, we are ensuring that today's students have the safest and most focused learning environment possible to prepare them for a competitive world.
If you have questions, please submit them here: https://www.westville.k12.ok.us/forms/bond-faqs
A: That is absolutely true, and the resilience of our older generations of Yellowjackets is a proud part of Westville’s heritage. Many of our current school board members, administrators, teachers, and local business owners walked those same outdoor paths between classes in all kinds of Oklahoma weather.
However, while the weather hasn't changed in 45 years, the standards for school safety and academic instruction have evolved significantly:
-Campus Security is Our #1 Priority: Forty-five years ago, school campuses could operate safely with wide-open layouts and multiple unlocked exterior doors. Today, modern school safety protocols require secure, single-point-of-entry buildings. Having students constantly walk outside to detached portable trailers makes it incredibly difficult to maintain a locked, secure perimeter and introduces a constant campus security vulnerability.
-Maximizing Modern Instructional Time: To help our students succeed and meet today's rigorous state standards, every minute of the school day counts. Transitioning outside during severe storms, freezing temperatures, or high heat breaks students' academic focus. Dealing with damp clothes, wet textbooks, and high HVAC humidity in portable trailers creates a noisy and highly disruptive learning environment that cuts directly into valuable classroom time.
-A Commitment to Progress: Just as previous generations of Westville leaders worked hard to improve upon what they had, our goal today is to continue that legacy of progress. By constructing permanent, secure indoor corridors, we are ensuring that today's students have the safest and most focused learning environment possible to prepare them for a competitive world.
If you have questions, please submit them here: https://www.westville.k12.ok.us/forms/bond-faqs
Today’s volleyball games will start at 4:00 PM instead of 4:30 PM. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding! 💜
The junior high scrimmage that was supposed to be played today has been rescheduled for Monday, August 24 at 6:30 PM at West Fork.
The high school scrimmage will still be played tonight at 7 PM at West fork.
Q: What is the status of our previous school bonds? Where did that money go?
A: Sinking fund levies are local property taxes (ad valorem taxes) collected on your county property tax bill, not a separate school tax. The last major school building bond passed by Westville voters was approved in April of 2015—the 12-year lease-purchase program that constructed our current 4th and 5th-grade elementary building. According to our bond advisors, the final payment on this outstanding program will be made in the spring of 2027. At that exact moment, the 2015 elementary building program will be paid in full, and that specific physical debt will be 100% gone. Every previous bond has been spent strictly as authorized on school infrastructure and is subject to full, independent public audits filed with the State Auditor.
A: Sinking fund levies are local property taxes (ad valorem taxes) collected on your county property tax bill, not a separate school tax. The last major school building bond passed by Westville voters was approved in April of 2015—the 12-year lease-purchase program that constructed our current 4th and 5th-grade elementary building. According to our bond advisors, the final payment on this outstanding program will be made in the spring of 2027. At that exact moment, the 2015 elementary building program will be paid in full, and that specific physical debt will be 100% gone. Every previous bond has been spent strictly as authorized on school infrastructure and is subject to full, independent public audits filed with the State Auditor.
