ACLU files open records request following OKCPS proposed school consolidations

OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — The American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma has filed an open records request into a proposed round of school consolidations in Oklahoma City.

On Monday, Oklahoma City Public Schools Superintendent Aurora Lora presented a plan to consolidate five schools as the school looks for cost-saving measures. The following schools were in the proposal:

• Edgemere Elementary
• FD Moon Academy
• Gatewood Elementary
• Green Pastures Elementary
• Johnson Elementary

ACLU Oklahoma Legal Director Brady Henderson says the closures appear to impact schools in neighborhoods "predominantly of color" and those that are major centers for students with disabilities and special needs.

"We must be certain that these closures are not targeting or unnecessarily impacting some of our most vulnerable students. Free and fair access to public education is one of our most cherished privileges as Oklahomans, as equal protection is one of our most important civil rights," Henderson said.

The OKCPS Board of Education will vote on the proposal on April 6. The ACLU hopes to have the requested records by March 31. ACLU of Oklahoma Director of External Affairs Allie Shinn called the speed of the proposals "troubling".

"If we, in a democracy that places such emphasis on local control, are expected to make decisions about how our government behaves, we at the very least must have access to enough information to make such determinations. It is essential that the citizens of Oklahoma City know more before such a drastic and abrupt decision is made by their elected representatives," Shinn said.