By Conrad Dudderar
Staff Writer
Yukon Public Schools has entered into an agreement to buy 20 acres of land northwest of Yukon for a future elementary site.
Purchase price is $500,000, or $25,000 an acre. Closing date has not been set.
The property is at Frisco and Hefner roads, west of Highway 4. This is in Oklahoma City limits but within YPS boundaries.
“We are obviously planning for the future,” YPS Superintendent Dr. Jason Simeroth said. “We are ever-forward moving.
“The first step is to find land.”
The YPS Board of Education, at its March 6th meeting, approved the land purchase as part of an encumbrance under the finance consent docket.
“We’re pretty excited about this,” Simeroth told board members. “The gentleman who owns the land has been very kind to us and he’s worked well with us.”
The superintendent referred to a proposed future residential development at Hefner and Cemetery roads, also in Oklahoma City limits. About 300 houses are platted.
“Three hundred homes can take a decade to build,” he noted. “We’re going to need that space.
“There’s a lot of land out there, and it will continue to grow.”
More housing is anticipated in this area as Oklahoma City continues to develop around Yukon’s corporate limits.
YPS has two schools north of Yukon on the east side of Highway 4 in Oklahoma City limits – Surrey Hills Elementary and Redstone Intermediate.
‘EXCEPTIONAL’ PRICE
YPS Board President Leonard Wells asked if administrators “feel good” about the purchase price, saying that’s always important.
“Exceptionally,” Simeroth replied.
YPS Post 5 Board Member Cody Sanders agreed.
“Especially in today’s market – very exceptional,” Sanders said.
The Yukon school district’s 2021 bond funds are being used to acquire the property.
A future bond issue, approved by YPS voters, would be needed to fund construction of the district’s 13th school.
Other items approved at Monday night’s YPS board meeting included hiring a construction manager for new bond-funded facilities, purchasing equipment for two new elementary playgrounds, and the 2024-25 school calendar.
Read more in upcoming print and online editions of The Yukon Progress.
