17-05-2025
SPS district plans demolition for current high school
Parts of the current Stillwater High School are slated for demolition after the new high school is completed, Stillwater Public Schools said in a news release.
The Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday to demolish the old high school after the district completed a feasibility study of the building.
Assistant Superintendent of Operations Bo Gamble, speaking to the Board on behalf of a Long Range Facility Planning Executive Committee, presented a recommendation for demolition of the current SHS.
Gamble said the decision is the best economically for the district, but demolition won't begin until after the new high school is operational, and the district plans on keeping some existing structures such as the Fieldhouse and the Performing Arts Center.
'Retiring district facilities is not without precedent in the district,' Gamble said in a statement. 'SPS has seen several high schools – Alcott School, Horace Mann, South High and North, and other facilities like Hamilton Field and the original Will Rogers, Westwood and Highland Park have either been demolished or sold to other organizations. Nevertheless, this was not an easy decision for the committee to make.'
The planning committee met over a three-month period as they reviewed the study and considered options, finally determining it "would not be economically efficient to maintain or remodel that facility for other purposes."
'We know there's a lot of history there,' Gamble said. 'But the building is past its functional lifespan. While updates to the front help the existing structure look good and tie it in with newer structures like the Fieldhouse and Performing Arts Center, our students and staff know that the age of that facility is apparent to those inside, and repairs to the facility are becoming cost prohibitive. Repurposing the existing structure for any purpose would have come with a significant cost, and would not be economically viable.'
The change will also allow the district to plan for future projects for extracurricular spaces.
'The current SHS, of course, has the longest legacy of housing our Pioneers, but now the time has come for a new facility to serve our students into the future,' Gamble said.
The committee will discuss integrating ninth graders at the high school campus 'in accordance with the Board of Education's established grade reconfiguration plan."
Gamble said the new high school's capacity would accommodate freshmen through seniors, and said initial discussions with Director of Secondary Education Ashley Moore and High School Principal Walter Howell about adding the ninth grade class to the high school configuration have already begun.
The committee's recommendation will include 'a timeline for that change and the planned shifts in grade configuration at SJHS, SMS and the elementary schools,' the district said.
The current grade configuration includes elementary: Pre-K-5; Stillwater Middle School: grades 6-7; Stillwater Junior High: grades 8-9; and SHS: grades 10-12.
The district said the Board's 2021 approved grade configuration – with a start date to be determined – is as follows:
– Elementary: Pre-K–4
– SMS: Grades 5–6
– SJHS: Grades 7–8
– SHS: Grades 9–12
'This is a transformative moment for our district,' Acting Superintendent Janet Vinson said. 'We're building an exceptional high school building that meets the needs of today's students and laying the groundwork for the campus we'll need in the future, while also creating a more connected, efficient and student-centered system across all grade levels.'
