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Union Public Schools, Oklahoma

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Union Public Schools
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Tulsa County, Oklahoma
District details
Superintendent: John Federline
# of school board members: 5
Website: Link

Union Public Schools is a school district in Tulsa County, Oklahoma.

Click on the links below to learn more about the school district's...

Superintendent

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 		This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates.

Dr. John Federline is the superintendent of Union Public Schools. Federline began serving as superintendent in July 2024. His previous career experience includes working as a teacher, coach, deputy superintendent, and assistant superintendent.[1]

School board

The Union Public Schools school board consists of five members elected by district to five-year terms.[2]

Elections

See also: Union Public Schools, Oklahoma, elections

Members of the Union Public Schools school board are elected to five-year terms. One seat is up for election each year.

One seat on the school board was up for general election on April 1, 2025. A primary was scheduled for February 11, 2025.

Ballotpedia covered school board elections in 367 school districts in 29 states in 2024. Those school districts had a total student enrollment of 12,203,404 students. Click here to read an analysis of those elections.


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Public participation in board meetings

The Union Public Schools school board maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:[2]

“

Patrons may address the Board during regular meetings under two specific areas of the agenda, one addressing items posted on the agenda and the other about any item concerning the district. Speakers must sign in between 6:30 and 6:45 p.m. before a regularly scheduled meeting. The president may establish the order for speakers. During this time, each speaker is given a maximum of three minutes. Members of the Board are not allowed to respond to comments from the floor, and no vote or action may be taken on issues raised.[3]

”

District map

School district map

Budget

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[4]

Revenue, 2020-2021
SOURCE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Federal: $29,017,000 $1,940 14%
Local: $99,626,000 $6,660 49%
State: $74,015,000 $4,948 36%
Total: $202,658,000 $13,548
Expenditures, 2020-2021
TYPE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Total Expenditures: $195,330,000 $13,057
Total Current Expenditures: $158,263,000 $10,579
Instructional Expenditures: $82,967,000 $5,546 42%
Student and Staff Support: $17,928,000 $1,198 9%
Administration: $22,636,000 $1,513 12%
Operations, Food Service, Other: $34,732,000 $2,321 18%
Total Capital Outlay: $25,067,000 $1,675
Construction: $24,676,000 $1,649
Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: $10,047,000 $671
Interest on Debt: $1,830,000 $122


Teacher salaries

The following salary information was pulled from the district's teacher salary schedule. A salary schedule is a list of expected compensations based on variables such as position, years employed, and education level. It may not reflect actual teacher salaries in the district.

Year Minimum Maximum
2024-2025[5] $43,220 $79,470
2022-2023[6] $40,220 $72,870
2021[7] $40,220 $72,570
2020 $40,220 $72,570

Academic performance

Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements.[8]

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2020-2021 20 39 9 12 15-19 21 32
2018-2019 29 54 15 18 24 30 44
2017-2018 28 56 12 17 24 30 44
2016-2017 32 54 13 20 28 36 49
2015-2016 64 82 47 52 62 67 78
2014-2015 66 84 49 55 65 65 80
2013-2014 67 85 50 55 64 67 80
2012-2013 74 89 56 62 75 74 84
2011-2012 75 88 59 62 75 77 85
2010-2011 75 86 58 62 74 84

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2020-2021 20 35 11 11 20-24 20 33
2018-2019 29 47 16 16 28 30 47
2017-2018 29 44 15 16 31 30 46
2016-2017 32 44 16 18 32 37 49
2015-2016 63 77 47 48 69 66 79
2014-2015 68 79 53 52 71 71 83
2013-2014 68 78 54 52 70 70 82
2012-2013 71 80 58 56 77 73 83
2011-2012 71 78 57 55 72 77 83
2010-2011 71 79 57 54 75 82

The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2019-2020 90 >=95 90-94 86 80-89 85-89 94
2018-2019 93 >=95 90-94 85 >=90 >=95 96
2017-2018 89 90-94 85-89 86 90-94 85-89 91
2016-2017 89 90-94 85-89 84 90-94 90-94 92
2015-2016 87 90-94 80-84 80-84 80-84 85-89 92
2014-2015 88 >=95 85-89 75-79 85-89 90-94 93
2013-2014 90 90-94 85-89 85-89 80-89 85-89 94
2012-2013 89 90-94 80-84 80-84 80-84 90-94 95


Students

Year Enrollment Year-to-year change (%)
2022-2023 14,890 -0.8
2021-2022 15,008 0.3
2020-2021 14,959 -5.7
2019-2020 15,815 0.3
2018-2019 15,773 -0.5
2017-2018 15,847 -0.9
2016-2017 15,983 -0.1
2015-2016 16,006 1.1
2014-2015 15,826 1.9
2013-2014 15,526 1.5
2012-2013 15,298 2.0
2011-2012 14,990 0.4
2010-2011 14,931 -0.5
2009-2010 15,010 2.3
2008-2009 14,658 1.0
2007-2008 14,518 1.2
2006-2007 14,342 1.7
2005-2006 14,101 0.9
2004-2005 13,968 1.1
2003-2004 13,819 2.2
2002-2003 13,517 1.5
2001-2002 13,315 2.0
2000-2001 13,054 0.6
1999-2000 12,977 0.0
Racial Demographics, 2022-2023
RACE Union Public Schools (%) Oklahoma K-12 STUDENTS (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native 3.8 11.2
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander 7.0 2.3
Black 15.0 7.9
Hispanic 39.6 19.8
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.3 0.4
Two or More Races 10.2 12.9
White 24.1 45.5

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


Staff

As of the 2022-2023 school year, Union Public Schools had 858.12 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 17.35.

Teachers, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF TEACHERS
Prekindergarten: 32.00
Kindergarten: 46.98
Elementary: 357.04
Secondary: 422.10
Total: 858.12

Union Public Schools employed 7.40 district administrators and 44.02 school administrators as of the 2022-2023 school year.

Administrators, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS
District Administrators: 7.40
District Administrative Support: 87.10
School Administrators: 44.02
School Administrative Support: 76.04
Other staff, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF
Instructional Aides: 188.31
Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: 14.46
Total Guidance Counselors: 40.80
Elementary Guidance Counselors: 13.80
Secondary Guidance Counselors: 27.00
Librarians/Media Specialists: 15.00
Library/Media Support: 5.00
Student Support Services: 173.07
Other Support Services: 471.49


Schools

Union Public Schools operates 17 schools. They are listed below in alphabetical order.
List of schools
SCHOOL NAMENUMBER OF STUDENTSGRADES
Andersen Es388PK-5
Boevers Es434PK-5
Cedar Ridge Es431PK-5
Clark Es403PK-5
Darnaby Es568PK-5
Ellen Ochoa Es907PK-5
Grove Es548PK-5
Jarman Es614PK-5
Marshall T. Moore Es520PK-5
Mcauliffe Es497PK-5
Peters Es434PK-5
Rosa Parks Es622PK-5
Thomas Jefferson Es578PK-5
Union 6th-7th Grade Ctr2,1826-7
Union 8th Grade Ctr1,1228-8
Union Hs3,35510-12
Union Hs Freshman Academy1,2879-9

Noteworthy events

2015: bond issue

In November 2014, the school board voted to place a $27 million bond issue on the February 2015 ballot. Voter approval made the measure the largest in the school district's history. The largest single project funded by the bond issue was a $9.1 million second phase of the district's eighth-grade center. Other projects included technology improvements and additional elementary classrooms. Superintendent Kirt Hartzler stated that the growth in overall enrollment and, in particular, sports and fine arts enrollment in the eighth-grade class necessitated the expansion. Similarly, Hartzler cited the growth in elementary enrollment as the reason to expand the number of classrooms at Rosa Parks Elementary.[9]

Results

Proposition Union Public Schools (2015)
ResultVotesPercentage
Approveda Yes 1,858 81.2%
No42918.8%

Allocations

2015 school bond allocations[10]
Description Amount
Phase II eigth grade center expansion: additional classrooms, fine arts performance space improvements and athletic field improvements $9,100,000
Additional classrooms at Rosa Parks Elementary $3,800,000
Elementary #14 Phase I: architectural fees, preconstruction expenses, demolition, utilities and other related construction costs $1,500,000
District-wide textbooks, media and library books, STEM, technology, software licenses and subscriptions $5,368,750
Site allocations: capital expenditures, technology equipment and software; projects at each school $805,000
Athletic, fine arts and spirit uniforms; instruments, equipment and technology $626,250
Maintenance and operations including, but not limited to, safety and security upgrades; HVAC equipment including rooftop units; parking lots and sidewalks; flooring, painting and remodeling/renovation projects; vehicles; architectural fees, engineering and other professional services $3,300,000
Rosa Parks Early Childhood Center Building: payment toward purchase of the building $1,000,000
Contingency and bond fees and expenses $1,500,000
Total $27,000,000

2014: High school mascot debate

A federal decision to cancel six trademarks held by Washington's NFL team over the use of the term redskins as their mascot renewed discussion of the term in Union Public Schools' mascots in June 2014. The trademarks for the professional football team were canceled due to a ruling that the term was disparaging. The district's high school mascot switched to the term in 2003.[11]

The school district made the following statement on the district's use of the term:

“ Union community members of all races tell us this is not an issue divided strictly on the lines of race. In the Union community, "Redskins" is not derogatory; rather it defines a diverse, yet close-knit community that exhibits great pride and spirit in its schools.[3] ”
—Union Public Schools (2014)[11]

Union Public Schools was not the only district among Oklahoma's largest to debate the use of the term in 2014. In December 2014, Oklahoma City Public Schools changed a high school mascot that used the term.

2000: American Civil Liberties Union Lawsuit

The ACLU filed a lawsuit against Union Public Schools for allegedly violating a student’s religious freedom and due process rights. School administrators suspended a student who expressed interest in the Wicca religion, which the ACLU said was an attempt to “to suppress any religious inclination toward or expression of the religion of Wicca.”[12][13]

A U.S. District Court Judge said in an order that the student was suspended for disrupting the education process and that the suspensions did not violate the student's constitutional rights.[14]

Contact information

Union Public Schools logo.jpg
Union School Board
8506 E. 61st St.
Tulsa, OK 74133-1926
Phone: 918-357-4321


About school boards

Education legislation in Oklahoma

Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.

See also

Oklahoma School Board Elections News and Analysis
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External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Union Public Schools, "Superintendent," accessed April 25, 2025
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Union Public Schools, "Board of Education," accessed April 25, 2025
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  4. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
  5. ↑ Union Public Schools, "Union Public Schools 2024-2025 Salary Schedule," accessed April 25, 2025
  6. ↑ Oklahoma State Department of Education, "Local Salary Schedules (2022-2023)," accessed January 31,2024
  7. ↑ Union Public Schools, "2020-2021 Salary Schedule," accessed April 6, 2021
  8. ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
  9. ↑ Tulsa World, "Union calls election for $27 million bond issue," November 17, 2014
  10. ↑ Union Public Schools, "Bond Issue 2015," accessed January 20, 2015
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 News On 6, "Union Public Schools: 'Redskins Is Not Derogatory,' Others Disagree," June 19, 2014
  12. ↑ ACLU, "ACLU of Oklahoma Files Federal Lawsuit on Behalf of Student Accused of 'Hexing' a Teacher," accessed May 7, 2025
  13. ↑ Education Week, "Spellbound," accessed May 7, 2025
  14. ↑ The Oklahoman, "Student loses lawsuit citing Wicca religion for two suspensions," accessed May 7, 2025
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