Dive Brief:
- The Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education on Oct. 19 approved to close or consolidate 17 schools. The move will go into effect for the 2027-28 school year.
- The Oklahoma district is making the major change after the board passed a resolution in July asking Tulsa leadership to bring forth recommendations to save at least $12 million amid budget stress.
- Tulsa is experiencing enrollment declines as the district reports serving 779 fewer students this fall compared to the same period during the 2025-26 school year. Many districts nationwide are proposing and approving sweeping school closure plans as declining enrollment trends persist.
Dive Insight:
The plan to close or combine 14 elementary schools, two middle schools and one alternative program is expected to save the Tulsa district $11.1 million.
Tulsa leadership also directed its central office staff to identify $1.5 million in additional savings for the upcoming fiscal year, including reduced salary costs mainly through attrition as well as other cuts to non-salary costs by department leaders.
Tulsa has seen a sharp enrollment drop over the past decade from about 40,900 students in October 2016 to 32,500 in October 2026 — a 20.5% decrease.
The district also reported on Sept. 8 that it would need 2,600 more students to balance the budget due to its current staffing levels. Looking at other Oklahoma districts, Tulsa said the size of its workforce is “out of alignment” compared to its enrollment. In 2025, for instance, Tulsa had 146.9 full-time employees per 1,000 students. That’s higher than other districts like Oklahoma City’s employee-to-student ratio of 135.8 and Owasso’s 123.4, the district reported.
Tulsa stressed in its Sept. 21 consolidation proposal, however, that the district did not include any changes to its current staffing nor any salary freezes for district employees.
Before the district presented the plan, leadership had already cut or significantly reduced contracts by $4.3 million from fiscal year 2025 to FY26. Tulsa said it also eliminated district office positions and separately found opportunities for $1.7 million in savings across departments.
Following the board’s approval to close or consolidate 17 Tulsa schools, Superintendent Ebony Johnson said in an Oct. 19 message to the school community that the district is now “better positioned to serve every student with more direct services, put highly qualified educators in every classroom, and provide every young person with the educational experience they deserve.”
Even after the budget reductions, the district said it will need to continue focusing on efforts to align its expenses with revenue moving forward. That includes improving offerings for current Tulsa students and families, expanding seats for in-demand district programming, strategically seeking out additional funding sources, and optimizing district staff and resources.
Another key part of addressing Tulsa's budget challenges is to boost enrollment, the district said in an FAQ on its website.
To do that, the district will expand its virtual programs to students living outside the district while also increasing the number of seats available at the most in-demand programs by families. Tulsa added that it will also follow through on investments approved by voters in a 2026 bond to upgrade the district’s College and Career Academies as well as improve its fine arts and athletics programs.
That entire bond package totaled $609 million, which will also go toward other initiatives, such as modernizing technology and improving transportation access.
