A peek above the leaks
By Mallory Sepúlveda
Owasso High School has many defining characteristics that are sure to remind you that you are in the “Home of the Rams!,” like the lack of windows or randomly locked bathrooms. Nothing screams “Ram Pride!” like running straight into a Ram-red trash can that is in the middle of a hallway to catch a leak. But who takes care of leaks or other issues? Things seem to magically happen at the schools—leaks get patched, surplus items get picked up, light bulbs get replaced—yet the people responsible provide aid with the stealth of Santa Claus. In and out, leaving presents—rewaxed tile and new mulch—before we even notice that they are there.
Even some of our faculty stand unaware. Junior Principle Austin Higgs exclaimed, “There’s just, like, little minions that run around when something breaks or we need something. And it just gets fixed, or it gets replaced. It’s wild. I don’t know who is in charge.”
If you try to find who is in charge, the Owasso Public Schools website will lead you to the Plant Operations staff led by Director Brad Yokley. The listed responsibilities of this team go on and on, including cleaning, buying supplies and furniture, painting, clearing snow, repairing playgrounds and much more at every school site.
“My team consists of about 75 people,” explained Yokley. “About 45 to 47 of those people are actually custodial staff … [and] we’re probably at 22 [members of the] maintenance and warehouse [staff]. We start as early as six [a.m.] and we finish as late as about one in the morning.”
Photo of Plant Operations employee Kevin Shappley in the warehouse taken by Mallory Sepúlveda
This staff has to work around students and events that occupy their working space. They often work before and after school to clean and maintain all of Owasso Public Schools’ facilities.
“We’ve got a million and four [square feet] of building space to clean. And then we have plumbing tickets; we have roof leaks. We have electrical; we have furniture. We change every light bulb in the district. We do a lot of things people don’t realize.”
Tickets detailing issues in the facilities are submitted to the Plant Operations staff by faculty.
“[In two days,] 72 tickets opened for my department to take care of. That could be anything from ‘We’ve got a broken tile on the floor,’ to ‘We’ve got a door that won’t lock,’ … to ‘I need supplies,’ to ‘I’ve got a leak.’ We maintain a lot of different things.” Yokley continued, “Since August, we have closed 1,713 tickets. [But] our job is much larger than what we can physically do with 25. So we have to meet with vendors.”
For example, Yokley does not have any roofers on staff. Instead, his team will survey damage on the roof and contract a roofer. Roofs at Owasso Public Schools, however, are much more complicated to work on than an average roof.
Photo of Brad Yokely and gas pipe taken by Mallory Sepúlveda
“When we’re roofing, we need space to work. You’re supposed to have 12 to 18 inches minimum [of vertical space].” Yokley motioned to the pipes, most of which are lifted less than six inches. “So we have to lift everything on this roof. A lot of this is welded gas pipe, so … you have to shut the gas off [and] get a welder on site. They’ll have to go down into the decking—that metal layer—and weld in stands [for the pipes]. So really to work on this area of roof, to get any warranty … all this has to come up.”
Yokley walked me across the east campus roof, pointing out the numerous opportunities for leaks to spring up. Every skylight, every AC unit, every pipe stand creates a risk for a leak. Maps that showed color coded roofs of multiple OPS schools showed that every single school had areas of roof in need of replacement. Extremely pricey replacement.
Photo of Mark Knowlton, Director of Construction, taken by Mallory Sepúlveda
“It’s not as simple as just regular roofs,” stated Yokley. “[We] have to move the electricity. [We] have to move the gas lines. We have to get rid of ducts. We have to put solar tubes in instead of skylights. You can see all the different … elevations and levels. That’s just more cost because it’s not just one big roof. That’s where bonds are really important.”
Bonds are loans taken out by the school district that are repaid with local property tax revenue. Currently, Owasso Public Schools has a bond proposal of $197 million over seven years. This will go towards roofing, construction of a Fifth Grade Center, turf replacement for the football field, construction of a 300-seat PAC at the high school, renovation of classrooms in various schools and more.
“The bond proposal is already out,” confirmed Owasso High School Principal Tiffani Cooper. “Dr. Coates has been talking to community members and things; the board has to approve that. But that proposal, once it’s taken, will be what goes on the election. And it’s really important—we need people to vote for this. We need a new roof.”
Bond money is especially crucial to Yokley and his team who largely operate out of bonds. Costs for supplies, furniture and repairs for the entire district result in a hefty sum.
“That's why the bonds are really important,” emphasized Yokley. “I have to buy everything. [If the bond doesn’t go through,] we don’t roof. I mean, ultimately, you’ve got to have the money to do the replacements. It is crucial.”
The bond was approved by the school board on December 9. It will go up for a vote in the community on February 11, 2025. Both Cooper and Yokley urge you to tell your family to vote “yes” for this bond. Maybe then we’ll be seeing less leak-catching trash cans in the hallways.
Various pictures taken or provided by Mallory Sepúlveda