Tonkawa Public School patrons went to the polls tuesday, Sept. 10, overwhelmingly approving a $925,000 school bond issue.
The final vote: 235 yes and 50 no.
Superintendent Lori Simpson said the bond issue was needed for two purposes, as follows:
(1) To construct three classrooms and student restrooms to accommodate the increase in enrollment from 394 students in 2014 to 459 students in 2019 at the grade school. The addition would be to the north end of the grade school.
(2) To upgrade security district-wide, by purchasing and installing new equipment to include, but not be limited to cameras at secure entries to all school facilities.
Simpson said the tax increase would be minimal, about 2.25%. For someone paying $600 a year in taxes, the monthly increase would be $1.12.
The district’s net assessed valuation has grown 15.38% the past five years from $25,868,941 in 2015 to $39,371,932 in 2019.
Chair-ity event tickets on sale
Tickets are now on sale for The North Central Oklahoma Arts Council’s 6th Anniversary Chair-ity Event held Thursday, Sept. 26 at the Tonkawa Casino Pool.
The special guest is musical ambassador Kyle Dillingham of Oklahoma City. It will be his third time to appear at the Chair-ity Event.
Tickets are $40 and are available at Frames and Things and Tonkawa Hotel Casino as well as First National Bank in Tonkawa and Ponca City.
Dillingham of Oklahoma City, started playing the violin when he was nine. While still in high school, Dillingham was featured twice on Nashville’s
Grand Ole Opry and had performed with legends Roy Clark and
Hank Thompson. He later went on to receive his bachelor’s degree in instrumental music performance from Oklahoma City University.
Dillingham has taken his music to 37 countries earning him the title of “Oklahoma’s Musical Ambassador.”
He has performed for the King of Malaysia, the Princess of
Thailand, Beijing Central Conservatory (broadcast on Chinese national television) and Singapore’s National Day Celebration.
Dillingham has also performed for many government leaders including the Japanese, Thai and Saudi Arabian Ambassadors as well as for many US Ambassadors while abroad.
Furthermore, as the Musical Ambassador in Residence at the
University of Central Oklahoma, Dillingham uses his “musical diplomacy” to help develop and strengthen new overseas partnerships for the university.
Kyle has also championed the commissions and performed the premieres of 8 new works for solo violin and symphony orchestra
- collaborating with many orchestras worldwide.
The annual event raises funds for arts grants in North Central
Oklahoma within 30 miles of Tonkawa and Northern Oklahoma
College students.
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