Choctaw-Nicoma Park elementary school delayed by sewer issues

School leaders exploring option including new site near Reno and Triple X

By Jeff Harrison
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Construction of a new elementary school in the Choctaw-Nicoma Park school district is still on hold due to issues with the sewer system in Midwest City.

The school district plans to build a new school on SE 29^th St., near Westminster Rd. The site is in Oklahoma City in the far southwest corner of the CNP district.

Oklahoma City does not have water or sewer service in the area. The school would like to connect to Midwest City’s systems, located on the north side of SE 29^th St.

Midwest City officials initially agreed to provide water to the school but couldn’t guarantee sewer service due to capacity issues. In August, the city implemented a moratorium on new construction that would connect to the municipal system, while still allowing developments on a septic or aerobic system.

A study outlined more than $28 million in upgrades to the system needed to accommodate future development. The city has been considering adding a development impact fee for future development as well as a rate increase for sewer service citywide to fund necessary upgrades.

The city council was expected to vote on the proposed funding measures and potentially lift the moratorium at a March 26 meeting. Instead, the council took no action on the issue. Mayor Matt Dukes said they need more time to study the issue, which could potentially mean waiting until a city sewer study is complete.

Midwest City City Manager Tim Lyon said the city council’s decision did not allow them to lift the moratorium. He said they expect to have a limited amount of capacity after they complete some upgrades using budgeted funds.

“What do you do with that limited amount of capacity? Do the developers want what limited availability there is or are they all willing to go to the school? If we don’t treat everyone equally then we’re going to expose ourselves to a lawsuit,” Lyon said.

David Reid, Superintendent of Choctaw-Nicoma Park Schools, attended the meeting and was disappointed by the council’s decision. Reid said city management assured him in early February that there was sufficient capacity to add the school. He planned to answer questions from the council.

“Upon learning of the tabled items, I scheduled a meeting with the City Manager and his team to discuss why we were denied approval and to look at further options,” he said.

At the meeting, Reid said he asked city leaders for an agreement to connect to the sewer system 15 months after approval of the sewage contract or finding the feasibility of running a line west on SE 29^th St. to connect to the sewer system outside of the moratorium area.

Both options would allow CNP to build the school at the location on SE 29^th St. Reid said the first option was rejected, but city leaders are reconsidering the second.

“We are now in a holding pattern as we await the viability of this option,” Reid said.

The new elementary school was originally going to be built using an aerobic septic system or lagoon. District officials later determined the plan would not work and the only option would be to tie it into a sewer system.

“They [CNP] asked for water. They did not ask for sewer and never had any intent to use us for sewer,” Lyon said. “They ran into some issues and now they need sewer. They didn’t have any deals approved like Timber Ridge or Turtlewood. Now they’re scrambling because they are not able to acquire any more land around there for a lagoon.”

The 10-acre property for the new school was donated by developer Jeff Moore. Reid said acquiring additional land near the site for septic system or lagoon is not an option at this time.

The new school, to be named CNP West Elementary, will be designed for about 650 students in grades pre-K through fifth with four classrooms per grade level. Most of the students who attend the school will live in Midwest City neighborhoods including Oakwood East, Turtlewood, Aspen Ridge, Windsong, Forest Glen, Avalon Lakes, Timber Ridge, Millcreek and Windmill Farms.

Those students currently attend Griffin-Meridian, Nicoma Park, and Westfall elementary schools.

“These kids are from Midwest City. They’re your kids and I get that,” Lyon said. “But how do the city and the council make that decision about who gets that limited amount of capacity that’s going to be there.”

If the school district is unable to obtain a viable sewage option, Reid said they could be forced to consider moving the location of the new school from SE 29^th St. to 160 acres the district already owns on Reno Ave. near Triple X Rd.

The district planned to build two new elementary schools (on the east and west sides of the district) as part of the recent bond issue. The school district will have to undergo an attendance boundary change to accommodate the new school regardless of which location is built.

“If CNP East were to be built first, then we would look to build CNP West in 2040 which is during year 18 of the 20-year bond,” Reid said. “Whichever school goes second will be built out of general obligation bonds which doesn’t allow construction to begin until after all the money has been collected. The school built first is out of the revenue lease portion, which provides money at the front of the bond for construction.”