School project still in limbo over concerns about sewer service
By Jeff Harrison
Midwest City Beacon
Choctaw-Nicoma Park School District’s hopes for a new elementary school on the west side of the district appear to be fading.
The district plans to build a new school on SE 29th St., east of Westminster Rd. The 10-acre property is in Oklahoma City limits in the far southwest corner of the CNP district. The project is part of a 2022 bond issue.
District leaders were ready to break ground on the project early this year, before running into a major hurdle with sewer service to the site.
Superintendent David Reid said if the school district is unable to obtain a viable sewage option, CNP could move the location of the new school from SE 29th St. to 160 acres the district already owns on Reno Ave. near Triple X Rd. The proposed CNP West Elementary would serve many families that live in both Midwest City and the Choctaw-Nicoma Park School district.
“Construction cannot begin until a guaranteed sewage solution is determined,” Reid said in May. “If one was guaranteed, we could begin at the SE 29th location within a week. However, the longer it takes to secure a sewer solution, the more we have to consider moving the new school to our Triple X and Reno land location.”
Oklahoma City does not have water or sewer service in the area. CNP would like to connect to Midwest City’s systems, located on the north side of SE 29th St.
Midwest City officials have agreed to provide water to the school but say they cannot offer sewer service at this time due to capacity issues on the east side. 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.
In March, city leaders were expected to vote on a plan to fund necessary improvements on the east side and potentially lift the moratorium but chose to wait until a city-wide study can be completed.
A few weeks later, the city council approved a memorandum of understanding with CNP for water and sewer service to the school site, which is in the moratorium area. The MOU includes two options for the school to receive sewer service.
Option one includes connecting to the city’s sewer system outside of the moratorium area. That would require the school district to extend the sewer line west along SE 29th St. to the nearest connection located west of Snapper Ln.
The second option would allow the school to connect to the sewer system directly if the city council lifts the moratorium by June 1, 2026. The school is slated to open in August 2026.
Reid said they would explore all options that could guarantee sewer service, while expressing concern about obtaining necessary easements for the project.
The school district has worked to acquire easements along the south side of SE 29th St. to connect outside of the moratorium area. They have been able to acquire all necessary easements except for one property owned by the Christopher Tytanic Living Trust. The vacant property is located on SE 29th St., just west of Westminster Rd.
Tytanic is an adjunct professor at the University of Oklahoma, a Choctaw High School alum, and serves as chairman of the Rose State College Foundation. Numerous attempts to reach him for comment were unsuccessful.
Reid would not speak about specific properties and easements but said the district has been willing to negotiate for all the required easements.
“The ultimate hope was the moratorium would be lifted prior to needing the easements,” Reid said.
Midwest City Mayor Matt Dukes said they would like to see the school built on SE 29th St.
“We’re willing to work with the schools, that’s one option that we gave them and it’s up to them to get the easements,” he said. “I’m not sure what the issue is with that one property owner.”
Midwest City leaders recently approved a project to upgrade the Edgewood lift station that is located inside the moratorium area. The improvements are expected to take about nine months to complete, with three for engineering and six for construction. Dukes said they will reevaluate the system’s capacity when the improvements are completed.
The school district has also inquired about purchasing additional land near the school site to build a lagoon sewage treatment system. That is not an option due to the proximity of a lagoon to future residential development.
The land for the school was donated by Jeff Moore.
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.
The proposed 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.
