union public schools - district profile · through a partnership with tulsa community college. when...

Introduction

UnionPublicSchools,IndependentDistrict#9,Tul-saCounty,isapremiereOkla-homa school district “aheadof thecurve”oncollegeandcareerreadinessandexpandedavenuesforindividualstudentsuccess.

Its approximately 15,000 students, Pre-Kthrough 12th grade, reside within a 28-square-mileboundaryencompassingbothsoutheastTulsaandaportionof BrokenArrow. Theschool systemis theheartof thecommunityandservesasaunifyingforce.It includes an early childhood center for three-year-olds;13elementaryschoolsPre-Kthrough5thgrade;andfive secondary schools---a6th/7thGradeCenter,8thGradeCenter,IntermediateHighforgrades9&10,HighSchoolfor11th&12th,andanAlternativeSchool.

ParentschoosetheUniondistrict for itsall-aroundexcel-lence. They takegreatpride in itswide-rangingdynam-ic academic programs; award-winning activities; caringteachers;highlyrespectedelectedandadministrativelead-ers;andremarkablefacilities.Unionisoneof theleadingdistricts inOklahomain thenumberof teachersearningnationalcertification,andinnumberof PresidentialMathandScienceawardrecipients.

Union’sCommunitySchools—completewithhealthclinicsandservicesfromcommunityagencies—serveasamodeltootherdistrictsnationwide.Theyincreaseacademicsuccess

by forming community partner-shipstoprovideextrasupportssuch as early care; health andsocial services; out-of-schoolactivities; family/communityengagement; neighborhooddevelopment; and lifelonglearning.

Each year the district has animpressivenumberof NationalMeritScholars,and itsgradu-ating classes receive millionsof dollars in scholarship offers

to colleges and universities through-outthecountry.Approximately89.5per-

centof the2011graduatingclasspursuededucationafterhighschool.

TheUnion communityprovideswhatever it takes to en-sure students thrive. Successful bond issueshave fundedstate-of-the-art tools toenhancereading, language,math,science,andwritingskillsateverygradelevel.Art,music,andphysicaleducationenrichthe traditionalcurriculum.Professionals in remedial reading, speech therapy, andspecialeducationareassignedtotheschoolsalongwithli-brarymedia specialists, nurses, and counselors. Coursesforgiftedstudentsareofferedatalllevels,asareprogramsforEnglishLanguageLearners.

InadditiontochallengingPre-AdvancedPlacementclasses,Unionoffersavarietyof APclasseswhichallowstudentstoearncollegecreditwhilelearningaboutasubjectingreaterdepth anddeveloping study and analytical skills that areimportanttosuccessincollege.InpartnershipwithTulsaCommunityCollege,Unionwasoneof thefirsttopilotauniqueconcurrentenrollmentprogramonitsHighSchoolcampus, enabling qualifying students to earn both highschoolandcollegecreditsat thesametime---virtually tu-ition free! TheUnionCollegiateAcademyalsoprovidesstudents exposure to college and career opportunitiesthroughapartnershipwithTulsaCommunityCollege.

WhenUnionwasfoundedin1919,itcombinedfoursmall,ruralcommunities-Boles,McCollough,MayoandAlsuma-andhadonlyfourstudentsinitsgraduatingclass.TodayitistheeighthlargestdistrictinOklahoma.Union’sstrongsense of tradition andpride is underscored in its theme,“WorkingtoFormaMorePerfectUnion.”

Our Goals

l Academicexcellenceforallstudentsl Preparationof studentsforpositivecitizenshipl Apositiveeducationalenvironmentinwhich students,parents,community,andstaff assumeresponsibilityfortheirroleinthe learning processl Districtexcellenceforallemployeesl Expanded opportunities for learningl Increased use of technologyl Enhanced Union pridel Support base to include patrons, partnerships, and community resourcesl Long-term plan to accommodate growth

Our Mission

ItisourMissiontoprovideourcommunityof learnerswith educational opportunities to acquire and developthebestpossibleacademic,vocational,recreational, so-cialandparticipatoryskills,enablingthemtobecomeval-ued,contributingmembersof achangingglobalsociety.

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Union Public Schools - District Profile

The Maintenance Department consisted of 15 em-ployees who maintained equipment and ensured thesmoothrunningof allUnionfacilities.Thecrewincludedlocksmiths,plumbers,welders,painters,carpenters,electri-cians,HVACtechnicians,telecommunicationstechnicians,andanelectronics technician. Theysupportedconstruc-tionprojectsthroughoutthedistrict.

ThePurchasing and Supply Management Depart-ment,withintheSupport Services Division,consistedof theDirectorof Purchasing&SupplyManagementandthreefull-timeemployeesattheEducationServiceCenter.Thesethreesupportedthefunctionsof bidding,purchas-ing,andcontractreview. Thedistrict’sDistribution Centerservedasthecentralreceivingpoint,supplydistributionhub,dailyintra-districtmailservice,andrecordsmanagementforthedistrict.TheDistributionCenterhadnineemployeeswhoprovideddai-lymailservice,childnutritionfoodandsupplywarehous-inganddelivery,andgeneralreceivinganddistribution.

Union Multipurpose Activity Center

ThreeemployeesattheUnionMultipurposeActivityCen-ter coordinated UMAC events and facility rental. Thenumber of events held at theUMACduring 2010-2011totaled1,031withanaverageof 20perweek.TheUMACalsohousestheU-WearstorewhichmarketedUnionspiritwear and items, theFineArtsDepartment, theAthleticsDepartment,andanin-housevideoproductionstudio.

Construction/Facilities

Thedistrictmaintainedover2.7millionsquarefeetof fa-cilities, including thirteenelementary schools (pre-kinder-gartenthroughfifthgrade),anEarlyChildhoodEducationCenter (three-year-olds), a Sixth/Seventh Grade Center,an Eighth Grade Center, an Intermediate High School(ninth and tenth grades), an Alternative School servingninththroughtwelfthgrades,aHighSchool(eleventhandtwelfth grades), theUnionMultipurposeActivityCenter,thedistrictOperationsbuildings (housing the transporta-tion, maintenance, grounds, and distribution center de-partments),andanEducationServiceCenter.

Duringthe2010-2011schoolyearthedistrictwas engaged in sev-eral construction and improvement proj-ects. The remodelof GroveElementarywascompleted in July of 2011. Additional class-roomsandofficeswereconstructedat the sitealongwiththeremodeland expansion of theexisting classrooms.The cafeteria and kitchen,media center, science lab, artroom,music room, and computer lab were also remod-eled.Theexistinggymwasexpandedprovidingtheschool

Operational Statistics

Transportation

Approximately8,935 studentswereeligible for transporta-tioneachdayonthedistrict’s94buses.Union’sbusesdrovemorethan875,315milesin2010-2011,approximately4,836milesperschoolday--comparabletoaroundtriptoJuneau,Alaska.Thedistrict’stotalcostforfuelwas$465,190.Activ-itybusestransportedstudents77,352milesduringtheyear.

Child Nutrition

Thechildnutritiondepartmentserved578,109breakfastsand1,442,672lunchesduringthe2010-2011schoolyear.In addition, 39,992 breakfasts and 39,142 lunches wereprepared for early childhood and 166,232 after-schoolsnackswereprovided.Mealswerealsoservedduringthesummermonths for summer school. Therewere13,979breakfasts and 18,646 lunches provided during summertoneedychildren.Lunchparticipationincreased7%andbreakfastincreased14%overthepreviousyear.

Six Union elementaryschools participated in theUSDAFreshFruitandVeg-etable Program, samplingsuch delicacies as dragonfruit, gold kiwi, sundroptomatoes,pluots,andapri-ums.Dailysnacksincludedblackberries, blueberries,strawberries, raspberries,pineapple, grape toma-toes, and asparagus. Theprogram addressed issues suchasrisingobesityratesinchildren,overabundance

of over-processedfoods,lackof availability,andhighcostsof freshproduce.

A$175,000grantfromtheUSDAprovidedfundingfortheprogram.Inadditiontothefoodsamplings,monthlynu-trition education classes and daily ‘sound bite’ announce-mentswereofferedtoteachstudentsabouttherelevanceof freshproducetotheirhealth.

Maintenance/Facilities Services

Union Public Schools’ 382.59 acres weremaintained by12 employees in theGrounds Department. Not onlydid they take care of the grounds but they also cleanedthestadium,assistedwithUMACevents,maintained177outdoortrashcans,repairedasphalt,removedsnow,main-tainedplaygrounds,andservedasamovingcrew.

TheCustodial Departmentoperatedsevendaysaweekwithsomeschedulesbeginningasearlyas5:15a.m.whileothersendedaslateas1:30a.m.Eachof the118employ-eesmaintained 35,000 square feet of space. Theywerealsoresponsibleforset-upandclean-upforvariousmeet-ingsandactivitiesaroundthedistrict.Eachmemberof thecustodialstaff regularlyreceivedhands-ontrainingtocleanandprotectourschools.

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Union Public Schools - District Profile (Continued)

Construction/Facilities (Cont.)

withapproximatelytwotimesthepreviousamountof gymfloorspace.Asaresultof theadditionandremodel,thenew landscaping, parking, and playground area renova-tion,GroveElementary isabeautifulnewcenter forourstudents.

Severalelementaryschoolshadcapitalimprovementproj-ectsoccurringonsite.Petersreceivednewcarpetandtileintheclassrooms.McAuliffereceivednewcarpetintheclass-rooms,waspaintedthroughouttheinteriorof thebuilding,and had new landscaping installed. ImprovementsweremadetotheAndersenplazaareawhereclassesmeetandstudentswaitforparentsundershelter.

The secondary schools also received some upgrades andimprovements during the 2010-2011 school year. TheSixth/SeventhGradeCenterhadacoolingtowerreplacedinanefforttoimprovetemperaturecontrolandairqualityinthesixthgradeclassroomarea.TheHighSchoolroofingreplacementprojectwas finishedwith the completionof PhaseIVof theroofingproject.

Thedistrict’slargestproject,approximately125,000squarefeet, con-tinues at the HighS c h o o lc a m p u s with thec o m p l e -tion of Phase I of the UnionCollegiate Academy

and the seamlesstransition into Phase II of theproject. Includ-ed in the workover the pastyear has beenthe construc-tion of a newkitchen wherestudents will beoffered four dif-ferentethnicfoodchoices and aservingandpreparationareaforsub-sandwichescalledThe Deli.AreashavebeenremodeledforadditionalofficesandstoragealongwithclassroommodificationsintheexistingHighSchool.Thefloorshavebeenpoured,steelerected,andthebuildingisbeingclosedintomoveontothefinishwork. Thebuilding isprojectedtobecompletedbytheendof July2012and ready for theapproximately3,300studentswhowilloccupytheschoolin2012-2013.

Otherdistrictprojectsoverthepastyearhavebeenthecon-struction of a 10,000-square-foot storage building at thedistributioncenter,newemergencygeneratorsinstalledattheEducationServiceCenterandthedistributioncenter,remodelingof theAlternativeEducationofficeareas,sta-diumupgrades,andotherminorrenovationsandrepairsthroughoutthedistrict.

Student StatisticsGrowth evened out during 2010-2011, with a 0.6% de-crease over the previous year. Union served 14,931 stu-dents–7,231attheelementaryleveland7,700ingrades6-12;7,681weremaleand7,240were female. In termsof race,6.9percentwereNativeAmerican,14.4percentwereAfricanAmerican,7.1percentwereAsian,0.2per-centwere Pacific Islander, 5.1 percentweremulti-racial,and66.3percentwerewhite.Justover22percentwereof Hispanicethnicity.

Therewere4,886firstthroughtwelfthgradestudentsen-rolledinUnion’sgiftedandtalentedprogram.

Tenpercentor1,533of ourstudentswereenrolledinspe-cial education.

In 2010-2011, approxi-mately 3,074 studentsthroughout the districtwere bilingual or livedin a homewhere a lan-guageotherthanEnglishwas spoken, comparedto206in1995.Thetotalbilingual count included 43differentlanguages.

During the regularschoolyear,387first,483second, and 458 thirdgraders were eligible toparticipateintheReadingSufficiencyActprogram.

Therewere782students(gradesK-5)enrolledinUnion’sExtendedDayProgram-189attendedthemorningpro-gram,191attendedtheafternoonprogram,and402stu-dents attended both. EDP Summer Camp was held atMooreElementaryofferingweeklythemesandfieldtripsoveranine-weekperiod. Weeklycampattendanceaver-aged 150.

During 2010-2011,High School and IntermediateHighstudentsearned1,884highschoolcredithoursinAdvancedPlacement(AP)coursesand1,524inPre-APcourses.

ElementarysummerschoolwasheldatBoevers,Briarglen,CedarRidge,Clark,Jefferson,andRosaParks.Thankstofederalandstategrant funds,classeswereofferedfreeof charge.Therewere1,550kindergartenthrough5th grade studentswhoattendedthesefreesummerschoolprograms.In addition, 54 pre-kindergarten and 50 kindergartenstudentschose toparticipate inCedarRidge tuition-paidclassesofferedinJune.

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Seniors Sarah Daggett and Page Reitermadethe2011OklahomaAll-StateAcademiclist.

Senior Lacey Baumerwasnamedasemifinalist forthe2011Classof theCoca-ColaScholarsProgram.Baumerrankedwithabout2,100seniorsintherunningfor$3mil-lion in college scholarships from theCoca-ColaScholarsFoundation.

The class of 2011 set a new scholarship offer record…$11,144,996.00whichis$50,028.00morethantheprevi-ous year’s record total.

SophomoreSamantha Hardgraveswonfirst place inpotteryattheFiveCivilizedTribesartshowandherworkwas displayed at the Five Civilized Tribes Museum ArtGalleryinMuskogee.

TheRenegadeRegimentrankedthirdinregionalcompeti-tionandearnedtheOutstandingVisualPerformancecap-tionawardattheBandsof AmericaSuperRegionalCom-petition inSt.Louis. TheRegimentwentontoplaceasafinalistatthe2010Bandsof AmericaGrandNationals.

AllthreeWinterGuardsearnedthegoldmedalandstatetitleforthe2011seasonintheWinterGuardandPercus-sionChampionshipsof Oklahoma. The8thGradeandthe JV teams competed in classifications with all HighSchoolVarsitylevelteams,stillearningthehonorof firstplaceintheirdivision.

SeventhgraderTaya TumpkinwasawardedGrandRec-ognitionforexceptionalscoresinDukeUniversity’sTalentIdentificationProgram.Sinceitsinceptionin1980,morethan2million studentshaveparticipated inaDukeTIPTalentSearch.

The Air Force Ju-nior Reserve OfficerTraining Corps Unit atUnionHighSchoolwasselectedasoneof 182 units to receivethe 2010-2011 AirForce Junior ROTC Distinguished UnitAward with Merit,this for thefifth yearinarowTheawardrecognizes Air Force Junior ROTC units that have performedabove and beyond

normal expectations and have distinguished themselvesthroughoutstandingservicetotheirschoolandcommunitywhilemeetingtheAirForceJuniorROTCmissionof pro-ducingbettercitizensforAmerica.

Union’scadetstookupthetasktocommemoratethe10thanniversaryof 9/11bybringingtheMovingVietnamWallto thedistrictduring2011. Their requestwasapprovedfortheentireweekpreceding9/11,andtheysetabouttheyear-longjobof raisingtheneededfunds.

Student Statistics (Cont.)More than 12,000 Union students were involved in atleastoneartsclassduringthe2010-2011schoolyear. Atthe secondary level (grades 7-12) 834were in band; 601in orchestra; 945 in vocal music; 624 in drama; 20 incompetitivespeech;and2,028inawidevarietyof visualarts disciplines.

During2010-2011,1,548studentsingradesK-12partici-patedon151teamsintheIntramuralsportsprogram.Ad-ditionally,over418Unionparentsparticipatedas coach-es, volunteers and coordinators, volunteering more than11,350hours.More than2,400practicesand604gameswerescheduledinUnionfacilities.

Secondary Achievement (Grades 7-12)

NationalMeritFinalistswereseniorsAndrea Boss, Sam Carr, Amy Chevrier, Kathryn Chevrier, Sarah Daggett, Morgan Hillin, Caleb Nelson, Shelby Stillwell, and Whitney Thompson. Joshua Maddox and Andrew Royerweresemifinalists.

Commended Students included Jennifer Davis, Aaron Fowler, Leah Gray, Susan Liu, David Mahaffey, Christopher McDowell, Aneesh Shukla, Mark Street, and Jimmy Tran.

Seniors Mark Street and Laura Feller were named Mr. andMissUnion, the high-esthonoraUnionstu-dentmayreceiveinthedistrict.

Through the UnionCollegiate Acad-emy, Union’s JuniorAchievementcompanywon thirdplace in theNorth American JACompany of the YearCompetition. The

12-personcompany,F.A.B.(FutureAssociatesof Business),producedandsold1,405hairbows.Theirnetprofitwas$1551.13,and$1,241of thatwasdonatedtotheAutismCenterof Tulsa. Each stockholder received20%of thenetprofit.

Alexander Bell and Anthony Gonzalez, who gradu-atedin2010,werenamedAPNationalScholarsbasedontheir performanceduring springAdvancedPlacement ex-ams.Inaddition,75studentswerenamedAPScholars,22werenamedAPScholarswithHonor,and28werenamedAPScholarswithDistinction. UnionRepertoryTheatrewonfirstplaceinthestateOne-ActPlaycontestwith theirperformanceof The Insanity of Mary Girard. Emily Elkins, Nathan Robertson, Mari-ah Shaw, and Allison WardwerenamedAll-State castmembers.UnionalsowonBestTech.

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Secondary Achievement (Grades 7-12) (Cont.)Seniors Lindsey Willis and Sheyda Zakerion success-fullycompletedtheNationalAssociationof StudentCoun-cils’StudentLeadersProgram,earningnationalcertifica-tion as student leaders. They joined approximately 100studentsinthenationtoachievethisrecognition.

Elementary Achievement

Darnabywas approved tobe aparticipatingA+School.A+ Schools is a program that supports academic excel-lenceandenhances thewaystudents learnusingtheartswhile working through A+ Essentials—arts, curriculum,experiential learning, multiple intelligences, enriched as-sessments,collaborationthroughouttheschool,havingin-frastructureinplace,andaclimatethatallowsthestudentstodotheirverybest.

Recognizedasamodelof communityschools,RoyClarkElementary was featured in the national publication of Scholastic Magazine.ThearticlefocusedonhowClarkistak-ingstepstonotjustimprovethequalityof educationbutstudents’verylivesbyconnectingstudentsandtheirfami-lieswithresourcestoprovideemotionalsupportandaccesstoneededserviceslikeenergyassistanceandhealthcare.

Clarkwasnameda2011NationalCommunitySchool,oneof onlythreeinthecountrytobehonoredbythenationalCoalition for Community Schools in Washington, D.C.TheCoalitionforCommunitySchoolsestablishedthena-tional awards program to highlight the effectiveness andefficiencyof schools,suchasClarkElementary,whichhasbeenacommunityschoolsince2005.

Five Clark fifthgraders got thechance to meetsinger Roy Clarkand be in a com-mercial with him

for theOklahomaMu-sic Hall of Fame inMuskogee. Not onlydid the students get tobe in the commercial,buttheygottoplaymu-sicwith the legendandget some guitar pointers.

RosaParksEarlyChildhoodEducationCenterinpartner-shipwithCommunityActionProject(CAP)completedtheprestigiousNationalAssociationfortheEducationof YoungChildren(NAEYC)accreditationwhichrecognizesonlythehigheststandardinearlychildhoodpracticesandresults.

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Union Intermediate and High SchoolAthletic AchievementUnionwonthe6AStateFootball Champion-ship, beating Jenks in aphenomenal renewal of the country’s best highschool football rivalries.Foraremarkable15con-secutiveseasons,JenksorUnion has captured the6A title. For the firsttime in school history,the Redskins savored athird consecutive statechampionship.

The boys’ cross country team finished first in state 6Acompetition.Union’spointtotalof 107wassevenhigherthan second-place finisherNorman. Union’s top finish-ersinthe5KmeetwereErik Alnes, Tyler Helt, Alex Monaghan, Bryan Corbaz, Zade Nabilsi, Levi Garrett, and Chase Costner.

The girls’ golf teamwon the first state championship inschoolhistoryby23strokes.FreshmanEmma Allenfin-ishedsecondindividuallywitha155.

Senior Paige BrownwasnamedtotheAll-StateVolley-ball Team.

Senior Erik Alnes (cross country)wasUnion’snomineefortheWendy’sHeismanAward.

Union’s two-sport standout,Stephon Weaver,was vot-ed theOklahoma Coaches Association’s Region 7MaleAthleteof theYear. Weaverwas a receiver for the statechampionRedskinsfootballteamandastarterforthestatesemi-finalistbasketballteamwhofinishedtheseasonwitharecordof 21-4.

Senior Sarah Daggett, cross countryand trackathlete,wonthe largeschoolgirls’ScholarAthleteAwardforthe35thAnnualMarchof DimesSportsHeadlinerbanquet.Sarahwasthedefendingstatechampioninthe1600-and3200-meter run.

Juniors Kyle Crutchmer and Kyle Ash earned hard-foughtwinsinthe160-poundand152-poundweightdivi-sionstotakestatewrestlingchampionships.

Fiveweeksafterwinningthestatechampionship,Crutch-mer became a national champion by winning the Na-tionalHighSchoolCoachesAssociationJuniorNationals160-poundweightdivisioninVirginiaBeach,Virginia.

The OSSAA recognized a number of Union’s athleticprogramsfortheiroutstandingacademicworkintheclass-room.WinningtheDistinguishedAcademicAwardwithaminimum teamGPAof 3.5 and rank in theupper 10percent of class 6A were boys’ swim, girls’ swim, cheer,volleyball,andbaseball.EarningAcademicAchievement


Union Intermediate and High SchoolAthletic Achievement (Cont.)

AwardswithaminimumteamGPAof 3.25andrank inthetop1/3of Class6Awereboys’andgirls’crosscountry,boys’andgirls’golf,girls’soccer,andgirls’basketball.

NamedasOCARegion7FemaleandMaleScholarAth-letes of theYearwere seniorsSarah Daggett (track&cross country) and Jacob Allbritton (tennis).

Senior swimmerMegan Myers and juniorErika Mc-Govern took individual statechampionships in the500-Yard Freestyle and 100-Yard Breaststroke, respectively.Thegirls’swimteamfinishedrunner-uptostatechampionEdmondNorth.MeganalsoistherepeathonoreeastheTulsa World’sgirls’All-MetroSwimmerof theYear.

JuniorswimmerEastman Hollowaysetanewstatere-cordinthe200-YardFreestyleeventwithatimeof 1:39.97,breakingtherecordof Unionalumnus,Dylan Lynn,whohadheldthestatebesttimeof 1:40.15since2006.East-man also was state champion in the 500-Yard Freestyle.Theboys’swimteamfinished4thatstate.

TheVarsityPomteamwonaStateChampionshipforthe7thYearinarowand8thtotal.Theywerecrownedco-championsalongwiththeJenksTrojans.Inaddition,the8th, 9th, and JV teams all won StateChampionships intheirrespectivedivisions.Thisisthefirsttimethateveryteamhaswonstateinthesameyear.

Varsity Pom wasnamed thenationalwinnerof the2010American Spirit Award by the Uni-versal Dance Asso-ciation – the high-est honor bestowedby the organiza-tion. The Ameri-can School SpiritAward is given to

teamsthatexcelbothonandoff thedancefloor, focusingon competitive success, academic excellence, school spirit,and community service. TheUDA also commended thesquadforitsacademicachievementswithateamGPAof anunweighted3.6,and16girlswerenamed to theAcademicAll-State Team.

Seniors Adrienne Allan and Dea Pennington repre-sented Union on the All-State cheerleading squad com-prisedof thetop16cheerleadersfromtheEastsideof thestate.

The Varsity Cheerleaders placed third in nationals andwerealsorecognizedfortheircommunityserviceprojectatRosaParksElementary.

TheHighsteppersDanceTeamscompetedintheOklaho-ma State Dance Team Directors Association (OSDTDA) StateCompetition.8thgradebroughthomeastatecham-

pionship inKick and third in Jazz; 9th gradewere statechampsinKickandsecondinJazz,plusStateAcademicChampionshipwinners.VarsityHighsteppersearnedsec-ondplaceinKickandfourthinJazz.

TheVarsityHighstepperstraveledtoOrlando,Florida,tocompeteattheContestof ChampionsNationalChampi-onship.TheyplacedsecondinKick,sixthinLyrical,sixthinModern,andeleventhinJazz. Teaching & Learning

The Board of Education voted unanimously to start el-ementaryschoolclassesearlier,seventh-andeighth-gradeclasses later,andninth- through12th-gradeclassesaboutthe same time to accommodate before- and after-schoolclasses.

Schoolsbegantheday25minutes later on Fridays to give teachers collabo-ration time during theweek. The schedule al-lowedallUnion teachersto engage in a 45-minute embedded collaboration time with their peers tohave an ongoing discus-sion of best practices intheclassroom.

TheBoardalsoapproveda new redistricting planinanattempttoeasecrowdingandmoreevenlydistributestudentenrollmentnumbers.Approximately200students,orthreepercentof thedistrict’s7,200elementarystudents,wereaffected.

ThenationalCoalitionforCommunitySchools,alongwiththeTulsaAreaCommunitySchoolsInitiativeandtheLink-agesgroup,hostedtheir fallnetworkingmeeting inTulsacelebrating theTulsa connectionbetween early care andlearningwith community schools. BothRosa Parks andtheEarlyChildhoodEducationCenterhostedastudytourshowcasing community initiatives and collaborations aswellasthelinkagesbetweenthetwosites.

TulsaCommunityCollegeandtheP-20CouncilreceivedagranttocontinuetheirworkinensuringmoreOklahomanshaveaccesstohighereducationthroughapilotprogram—EXCELeratewhichenabledTulsaandUnionjuniorsandseniors,and limitedsophomores, theopportunity toearncollegecreditsontheirhighschoolcampuses.Thecosttostudentsforathree-credithourclasswas$12.75.

Threehundredseventy-threestudentsparticipatedincon-currentenrollmentforcollegecreditontheUnioncampusand18studentsearnedcollegehoursatTulsaTech.Dur-ing2010-2011,Unionstudentsearned3,813hoursof col-legecreditwhileinhighschool.

Even with concurrent enrollment, Union’s AP programwasbiggerthanever.MoreAPteststhaneverweregiven,and62%of thescoresearnedcollegecredit.

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Teaching & Learning (Cont.)Unionwasnamed theExemplarySchoolof theYearbytheMuscogeeCreekNationinrecognitionof Union’sNa-tiveAmericanJohnsonO’Malleyprogram.Unionwascit-edforan“impressiveprogram”thatofferedtutoringandcounselingforeligiblestudentsingrades8-12thathelpedthemplanandprepareforcollegeorcareertraining.

Union’sAdultEducation programbecame the largest inthestate,andstaff membershelped371adultsobtaintheirGEDs as well as teaching many adults English and jobskills.

The district beganworking toward im-plementation of theUnion Virtual Learn-ing Academy whichwill provide a uniqueopportunity for HighSchool students tohaveachallenginged-ucationalexperienceinasupportiveonlineen-vironment. Studentswillhaveaccesstoclassesacrossthecurriculumanytime,anyplace. TheAcademy (UVLA)willoffercoreclasses,andinterestingelectives. Coursesareself-paced, interac-tive,and supportedas studentscommunicatewithhighlyqualifiedteachers.

Contributions from the Community

TheGeorgeKaiserFamilyFoundationgenerouslysupport-edUnion’sFOCUSprogramwithadonationof $25,000.The Williams Companies Foundation gave $20,000 inmatchingfundsasdidtheUnionSchoolsEducationFoun-dation (USEF) with $5,000. Union’s FOCUS program servesstudentsingrades7-9,providingthemwithmorein-structionaltimeinmathandEnglishplusthesupportandskillstoachieveacademicsuccess.

Partnershipswith area churches, civic organizations, col-leges,businesses, andcommunityagencieshaveprovidedeverything fromdictionaries and school supplies tomen-torsandhealthclinicservices.

Employee Statistics

During 2010--2011,Union employed69 administrators–53certifiedand16non-certifiedand966certifiedteachers.Support staff members accounted for another 799 posi-tions,642fulltimeand157parttime.Theethnicdiversityamong the staff was African-American 4.9%; AmericanIndian5.2%,Asian1.9%,Hispanic7.5%,Caucasianandother80.5%.Threehundredseventy-sevenweremaleand1,457female.

Attheendof 2010-2011,Unionhad96NationallyBoardCertifiedteachersat19schools,and36%of districtteach-ingandadministrativestaff heldgraduate-leveldegrees–348hadmaster’sdegreesand19haddoctorates.

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Employee AchievementDawn Poyndexter, who teaches first andsecond grade at Ce-darRidge,wasnamedthe2010-2011UnionTeacher of the Yearand one of 12 final-ists for state Teacherof theYear.TheSiteTeachers of the Yearwere Ione Stow-ell (Andersen), Joan Meyer(Boevers),Te-resa Bowker (Bri-arglen), Kent Jones (Clark),Verna Pollack(Darnaby),Becky Hines(Grove),Kim Wolfe(Jarman),Karen Duncan(Jefferson),Angie Briggs (McAuliffe),LeeAnna Weaver (Moore),Athe-na Reich (Peters),Jean Thomason (RosaParks),Julie Brungardt (6thGradeCenter),Frances Turney (7thGrade Center), Karie Anderson (8th Grade Center),Trent Spencer(AlternativeSchool),Lt. Col. Ron Mc-Cool(Intermediate),andAmi Reynolds (HighSchool).

TheCertificateof AchievementforExcellenceinFinancialReportingwasawardedtoUnionbytheGovernmentFi-nanceOfficersAssociationof theUnitedStatesandCana-daforitscomprehensiveannualfinancialreport.Thecer-tificateof achievementisthehighestformof recognitionintheareaof governmentalaccountingandfinancialreport-ing,anditsattainmentrepresentsasignificantaccomplish-mentbyagovernmentanditsmanagement.

UnionalsoearnedtheCertificateof ExcellenceinFinan-cial Reporting from the Association of School BusinessOfficialsInternationalforthe18thconsecutiveyear.Theawardisthehighestrecognitionforaschooldistrictofferedby ASBO, recognizing significant achievement in schoolsystemfinancialreporting.

Jarman teachersPaige Bergin and Denise Thomas received the Presi-dential Award forExcellenceinMath-ematics and Sci-enceTeaching fromPresident BarackObama.Berginwashonored in math

and Thomas in science. Nationally 85mathematics andscienceteacherswereselectedforthehonor.Theyreceivedanexpense-paid trip toWashington,D.C., foranawardsceremonyandrelatedevents.

After implementing a concussionmanagement program,headathletictrainerDan Newmanhasbecomearegion-al authority on concussion prevention. Union hosted abraininjuryconferenceforareaathleticdirectors,coaches,andparents aspartof anationalpublic awareness cam-


Employee Achievement (Cont.)

paign by The Sarah Jane Brain Foundation, a nationalnonprofitgroup.

District patron Patrick CoylewastappedtofilltheDis-trict#2seatontheUnionBoardof EducationleftvacantwhenmemberRoss Ford resigned to become Union’s Di-rectorof Security.

Union raised $175,198 for the Tulsa Area United Waycampaign, with 94 people named Key Club donors –contributing$500ormore. TheIntermediateHigh, the6th/7thGradeCenter,andMooreElementaryraisedthemostmoneyfortheUnitedWay.Peters,Grove,andthe8thGradeCenterincreasedtheirgivingthemostwhileMoore,theAlternativeSchool,andCedarRidgegavethe“highestpercapita”fromtheschoolsites.

High School math teachers Cindy Johnson and Eliza-beth SonnenfeldwereselectedasparticipantsintheStateSuperintendent’sMasterTeacherProject.JohnsonandSon-nenfeldorganizedstudygroupsforthedistrictandservedonaregionalcurriculumconferenceplanningcommittee.

Sgt. Dan Snowwashonoredasoneof thetop10%of thecountry’s Junior ROTC instructors.

Robbie Lee,certifieddeskspe-cialist intheHumanResourcesdepartment, was named the2010-2011 Support Employeeof the Year. Robbie was de-scribed as an employee whoraisesthebarforworkethicandcommitmenttohighprofession-al standards.

JoAnna Jamison, director of the Adult/CommunityEducationprogram,wasnamedthe2011WorkforceOkla-homa Employment and Training Association (WOETA)AlumniAwardBusinessLeaderof theYearfortheserviceareainOklahomabytheTulsaAreaWorkforceInvestmentBoard.

High School teacher Christi Johnson, coordinator of Union’s Collegiate Academy, won the “Educator of theYear” award from Junior Achievement at their BusinessExcellencebanquet.

Head football coachKirk Fridrich was given a SportsHeadlinerHonoreeAwardat the35thAnnualMarchof Dimes Sports Headliner banquet for the success of the2010StateChampionUnionRedskins.

Named as Oklahoma Coaches Association Region 7Coachesof theYearwereKirk Fridrich(football),Kevin Gannon(tennis),Lindsay Jones(golf),Chadd McKee (volleyball),andSteve Randall (softball).

Mike Stanton(crosscountry/track)wasvotedRegion7Coachof theYearaswell asFrontierValleyConferenceCoachof theYear.

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Parent Support

The Union Schools Education Foundation presentedchecks to its 2010-2011 grant recipients during TeacherAppreciation Week in May. Forty-eight grants totaling$37,292.29 were given to 48 different teachers at 15 of thedistrict’s18sites.Theclassroomprojectstobefundedrangedfrom$64.80to$1,999.02.

TheUnionSchoolsEducationFoundationraised$80,759during its annual November dinner and auction at theRadisson Hotel. The amount raised represents thesecond highest amount on record with net income of approximately $63,000. With the theme, “Focusing onthe Future,” auction chairwoman DeAnn Magness andherteamcollectedgreatitemstoauctionincludinga14Kdiamond pendant necklace and use of the Flintco Suiteat theBOKCenter alongwith gift basketsmade by theschools.Theyalsoraised$5,200forthe“FundtheNeed”causetobenefitUnion’s“ICareHolidayProject.” ThePTAKlothesKlosetcollectedanddistributedclothesforhundredsof Unionchildrenandtheirfamilies.

Union voters overwhelmingly approved a $21.6-millionFebruarybondissuetoexpandthedistrict’seffortstobetterpreparestudents forcollege,givingthego-aheadtocom-pletethe$16.3-millionUnionCollegiateAcademybyfall2012. Theremainderof bond fundswere tobeused toconvert theIntermediateHigh toaNinthGradeCenter,andtopurchasetextbooksandmakeothercapitalimprove-

mentsthroughoutthedis-trict.

Voter turnoutwas strongdespitehazardousweath-er conditions left overfrom the previousweek’sblizzard. Election offi-

cials consolidated all 36 Union precincts at theUnion Multipurpose Activity Center for vot-er and precinct workersafety. The proposalpassed with 84.23 per-centof thevote.

Incumbent Jeff Bennett retained his seat on Union’sschoolboard,with58percentof thevotes.

Student Community ServiceStudentsintheExtendedDayProgramatUnion’s13el-ementaryschoolsdecoratedcards tobedeliveredtoareaMealsonWheelsrecipientsandotherhomeboundpeoplethroughtheKenzie’sCauseproject.SeventhgraderKen-


Student Community Service (Cont.)zie Chabinocameupwiththeideaof sendingthecardsandsaidthatwithinthefirstsixweeksof theproject,about30,000cardshadbeenmade.SchoolsandclassesoutsideOklahomahavestartedsimilarcard-makingprojectsafterlearningaboutKenzie’sCause.

UnionHighSchoolwasnamedthewinnerof TheSalva-tionArmy’sHighSchoolBellRingingChallenge,bringingin $996.54 for the campaign which raised $3,770 area-wide.Thefundshelpedsupportsome3,000needyfamilies

duringtheholidays.

Union students were in-volved in giving back tothe community through-outtheyearthroughfooddrives, coat collections,andcoindrives.RedskinAID (Athletes Impact-ingtheDistrict)membersmentored elementary students and volunteeredat theAlzheimer’sMem-ory Walk, area nursinghomes, the John 3:16

Family&YouthCenter, the FeedMy StarvingChildrenfooddrive,andmanymore.

CommunicationsThe Communications Department created a successful2011bondelectioninformationcampaignfora$21.6-mil-lionproposaltocompletetheUnionCollegiateAcademywingatUnionHighSchoolandtofundneededimprove-mentsthroughoutthedistrict.The“Union–Aheadof theCurve”campaignculminatedinstrongvoterturnoutandarecord-breaking84.23percentapprovalratingforpassageon electiondaydespite last-minuteprecinct changes andicyroadsleftoverfromtheworstblizzardinTulsa’shistory.

Throughout thefiscalyear, theCommunicationsDepart-mentdecreasedexpenditures10percentby reducing thenumberof publicationsitproducedandincreasingitsuseof thedistrict’s automated telephonenotification system,itswebsite,www.unionps.org,andthesocialnetworksTwit-ter andFacebook to communicatewith its publics. Thedepartment also opened a YouTube channel to provideanothervenue forstudentperformancesand informationvideos.

TechnologyDuring 2010-2011, the Information Technologydepartment completed 14,131 work orders and manyprojectsfundedbythe2010bondissue.TheTechnologydepartment continued to deploy awireless infrastructureinmanyof theelementaryschoolsandsecondaryschoolsites.Onlyalimitednumberof computerswereupgradedduring the year, but a virtual desktoppilot programwaslaunched. The 2010-2011 school year also saw the firstinstallationof amulti-yearprojecttoupgradethedistrict’sserverstoavirtualfarm.

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Union continued to deploy SMART Interactive whiteboardsatall sites. Over the summer, theharddrivesonallstudentcomputers(3,100)wereerasedandre-imaged.Thecomputerswere thenre-namedandre-joinedto thenetwork.

Economic Condition and Outlook

Union Public Schools is located within the TulsaMetropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), a seven-countyarea whose population exceeds 937,478 or 25 percentof thepopulationof the stateof Oklahoma. TheTulsaMetropolitan Chamberof Commerce reportsTulsa’smajorindustriesasaerospace, transportationand logistics; electri-cal equipment manufac-turing and services;health care; IT andt e lecommunicat ions ; petroleum and natural gas; architecturaland structural metal manufacturing. TheChamber estimates thevalue of all goods andservices produced in theTulsaMSA as $35.2 billion, or32.5percentof theOklahomaeconomy.

Forbes Magazine recognizeda strong jobmarket forTulsa,rankingthemetroasthefourthbestcityforjobsinwinter2011. Relocate America rankedTulsa sixth inoverall citiesfor 2010, attributing elements such as a strong economy,lowunemployment,andarobustbusinesspresence.Tulsaoffers a low cost of doing business at 11 percent undertheU.S.averagedue to lowrent,energycostsand taxes.OtherqualitiesthatattractnewgrowthareTulsa’ssoundinfrastructure and low cost of living. Business Facilities namedTulsametrofirstforcostof livingin2010.Manypublications have praised Tulsa for strong economicrankings,including:

#1 “AffordableCityintheU.S.”–Relocate America

#5 “StrongestEconomyforFamilies”–Parenting Magazine

#1 “CityLikelytoEscapeCommercialRealEstate Slump”–U.S. News and World Reports

#6 “AffordableCollegeTown”–Coldwell Banker The area’s economy continues to rebound from pastturmoilinthenationalandinternationalfinancialmarkets.TheOfficeof theStateTreasurerreportedthat thestateendeditsfiscalyearwithrevenuesaboveprojectionsduetohigherthananticipatedcollections fromgrossproductiontaxes on oil and natural gas and net income taxes. Oilandgasprices rose fromthepreviousyear,whichhelpedcontributetoadditionalstaterevenuesinthecurrentyearas the state’s economy continues to improve. The Tulsahousing market has not been as negatively affected bythemortgage/housing crisis compared to the rest of the


Economic Condition and Outlook (Cont.)

country. An October 2010 article in The Wall Street Journal ranked Tulsa first for best markets for conservative realestateinvestorsincitieswithmorethan200,000residents.Thishighrankingwasdue toapositive three-yearhomepriceforecast,stableemploymentmarket,andsmallshareof volatilejobs.Tulsaalsoisatop38bestperformingcityfor2010accordingtotheMilkenInstitute.

TheunemploymentrateintheTulsaMSAwas6.9percentin2009,andthenincreasedtoa2010levelof 7.4percent,witha2011rateof 7.3percent,2.3percentbelowtheU.S.average.TheTulsaChamberprojectsthatratewilldecreasethrough2015astheeconomyimprovesinOklahoma.

Union Public Schools contributes to Tulsa’s workplaceinitiativesbyofferingcommunityprogramsforbothadultsandchildrensuchas:

*AdultBasicEducation–classesforadultswhoneedbasic instructioninreading,writing,mathandlifeskills,

*WorkplaceEducation–linkseducationgoalstothe employer’sdesireforhighperformanceworkandproduct quality,

*G.E.D.Preparation–instructiontoprepareadultstotake theTestsof GeneralEducationalDevelopment(G.E.D.),

*EnglishasaSecondLanguage–instructiontonon- Englishspeakingadultstohelpthembeproductive citizensof ourcommunity.

The Adult Education program has continued to grow,serving2,263studentsin2011.Duetoprogramexpansionthat includes five Northeastern Oklahoma counties, theprogrampredicts 2012will serve over 3,500 students. Inadditiontohelpingmanyadults,theprogramhasformedmanyrelationshipswithTulsaareaprogramsincluding:

* Asbury Learning Center

* CatholicCharities

* SouthTulsaCommunityHouse

* GreenCountryEventCenter

* CommunityActionProject(CAP)

* Workforce

* Educare

* TRiO-EducationOpportunityCenter(EOC)

* TulsaTechnologyCenter

UnionPublicSchoolscontinueseffortstoprovidesuperiorhealthcaretothedistrict.AjointeffortbetweenUniversityof Oklahoma Bedlam Community Health Clinic andUnion Public Schools produces cutting-edge services fortheUnioncommunity.TheUnionPublicSchoolsBedlamSchool-Based Health Clinic operates at both Roy Clark

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Elementary School and Rosa Parks Elementary School.These clinics provide a convenient way for students toreceiveawiderangeof healthcareservices,whichoperateatnocost totheschooldistrict.Theprimarygoalof theclinics is to serve families of all children in each of theschools,includingthosewhoqualifyforMedicaidorhavenohealthinsurance.Theclinicsprovideatleastonefull-timephysician’sassistantoraresidentphysician.Inaddition,apediatricianvisitseachclinicaspartof arotatingschedule.Thephysiciansworkwithandassistschoolnurses.

In addition to student healthcare,Unionpartnerswith the University of OklahomaPhysicians-Tulsatoprovidelowcostmedicalservices for employeesthroughanemployeeclinic.This unique partnershipprovides access to qualityhealthcarewhilecontrollingescalating healthcare costs.The clinic is staffed by afully-licensedOUphysician,aphysicianassistant,andalicensedpracticalnurse.Limitedpharmaceuticalservicesarealsoavailableattheclinic.

EnrollmentUnionhasexperiencedsignificantgrowthinthepastdecade.During the 2001-2002 school year, the district recordedtotal enrollment of 13,315. In 2010-2011, enrollmentreached 14,931. Administration projects enrollmentin the 2011-2012 school year to reach approximately14,911studentswiththecontinuationof thefour-year-oldprogram to every elementary site and the three-year-oldprogramservingapproximately760students. AdditionalenrollmentdetailsmaybefoundintheStatisticalSectionof thisCAFR.

Facilities

To accommodate this growth in student population thedistrictmaintainsover2.7millionsquarefeetof facilities,including thirteen elementary schools (grades PreK-5), aSixth/SeventhGradeCenter,anEighthGradeCenter,anIntermediate High School (grades 9-10), an AlternativeSchool serving both middle school and high schoolstudents,aHighSchool(grades11-12),andanEducationServiceCenter.Thedistrict’snewestconstructionincludesthe remodel and expansion of GroveElementary,whichwillbecompleteinJuly2011,andconstructiononUnionCollegiateAcademyattheHighSchool,scheduledtoopeninschoolyear2012.PleaserefertotheStatisticalSectionof thisCAFRforadditionalfacilitydetails. Bond Funds

OnFebruary8,2011,districtvotersapproveda$21.6-millionbond proposalwhich included funds for Phase II of theUnionCollegiate Academy and a larger cafeteria at the


Bond Funds (Cont.)

High School; acquisition of textbooks,media books andinstructionalhardware/software;andbuildingrepairsandrenovationstositesdistrictwide.Otherequallycrucialitemson theballot included classroommaterials, instructionalequipment,technology,andoperationsequipment.

Grants/Federal ProgramsDuring the2010-2011 school year,Union receivedmorethan$16.98millioninfederalgrantmoney,of which$7.34millionwas fundedbyTheAmericanRecovery andRe-investmentActof 2009(ARRA).ARRAprovidedfund-

ing forvariouspro-grams designated undertheIndividu-als with Disabili-ties Education Act(IDEA), Homeless,TitleI,andFederalEducationJobsAct,whichallocatedad-ditional funds foreducational posi-tions. Union uti-

lizedARRAfundsforeducation-relatedexpensessuchastechnology, instructional materials, salaries, parental in-volvement,andprofessionaldevelopment. Major InitiativesMajorinitiativesthatwereenactedasaresultof the2011OklahomaLegislativeSessionincluded:

• S.B.141:Amendmentstovirtualweightsof students bymodifyingthecalculationdate.

• S.B.536:Establishmentof “TaskForceonCreating AdministrativeEfficiencies”toexamineadministrative costsandwaystoreduceandtheassociatedimpactof thereductionsontheschooldistrictoperationsand student education.

• S.B.664:Lowersthepercentageof fundsfor administrativecostsrelatingtoschooladministration.

• H.B.1744:SpecialEducationVouchers–Modification totheLindseyNicoleHenryScholarshipsforStudents withDisabilitiesProgram.

• H.B.2139:StateBoardof Education–Separate dutiesbyindicatingtheStateBoardadministerspublic schoolsandtheStateSuperintendentadministersthe Department.

• H.J.R.1002:CaponAdValorem–Sendstoavote of thepeopleameasurelimitingpropertytaxincreases to3%annually.

Internal ControlManagementof thedistrict isresponsibleforestablishingand maintaining an internal control structure designed

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to ensure that the assets of the district are protectedfrom loss, theft or misuse and to ensure that adequateaccountingdata is compiled toallow for thepreparationof financial statements in conformity with generallyaccepted accounting principles (GAAP). The internalcontrol structure is designed to provide reasonable, butnotabsolute,assurancethattheseobjectivesaremet.Theconcept of reasonable assurance recognizes that 1) thecostof acontrolshouldnotexceedthebenefitslikelytobederived;and2)thevaluationof costsandbenefitsrequiresestimatesandjudgmentsbymanagement.

Long-Term Financial PlanningThe Board of Education of Union Public Schools, inconjunctionwiththeSuperintendentandChief FinancialOfficer, establishes a system of sound financial planningandmanagementtoassurethatthedistrict’sobjectivesareaddressedandthatfundsareexpendedinaccordancewithplansexpressedthroughtheBoardbudget.Thefinancialmanagement system components include: 1) a planningprocess that consists of a review of state statutes, Boardpolicies,concepts,ideas,problems,constraints,approachesand systemsbeforedollaramountsare established in thebudget;and2)abudgetthatistheexpressionof theplansof theBoard through threemainbudgets – theGeneralFund, aSpecialRevenueFund, and theChildNutritionFund.

Budgetary ControlsThe district utilizes budgetary controls to ensurecompliance with legal appropriation limitations and toprovideanoperatingplanforthedistrict’sresources.Theannual appropriated budget includes activityof the General, SpecialRevenue Funds, andChild Nutrition Funds.Capitalprojectsactivityiscontrolled with approvalof project-lengthfinancialplans. Initial budgets are adoptedatthebeginningof the fiscal year withperiodic amendments approvedbytheBoardasnecessary.

The level of budgetary control is maintained by fund,project, and function. Individual line items may beadjusted without Board action, but total budgetedexpendituresmaynotexceedappropriationsatthemajorfundlevelwithoutBoardapproval.Thedistrictutilizesanencumbrancesystemasatechniqueof budgetarycontrolwithencumberedappropriationslapsingatyearend.

Independent Audit

Oklahoma state statutes require an annual audit byindependentcertifiedpublicaccountants.Theaccountingfirmof ColeandReed,LLP,wasselectedbytheBoardof


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Independent Audit (Cont.)

Educationtoconducttheaudit.Inadditiontomeetingtherequirementssetforthinstatestatutes,theauditwasalsodesigned tomeet the requirements of theFederalSingleAuditActof 1984andrelatedOMBCircularA-133.Theauditor’sreportonthebasicfinancialstatementsisincludedin thefinancialsectionof thisreport.

ClosingInclosing,withouttheleadershipandsupportof theUnionBoardof Education,preparationof thisreportwouldnothavebeenpossible.

Sincerely,

CatherineE.Burden,Ph.D.Superintendent

DebraJ.Jacoby,CPAChief FinancialOfficer/Treasurer

CatherineL.Smart,CPADirectorof FinancialReporting/Treasurery

GailEasterling,CPADirectorof Accounting

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