Today was the first day of school for Tulsa students.  For the student’s reporting to the Clinton Middle School there was an air of anticipation in the air.  They had a brand new building to explore and all kinds of surprises awaiting them. 

The school is home for 6th, 7th and 8^th graders on the west side and these classes will be responsible for officially breaking in the new school.   

One of the 8^th grade students was quoted as saying that this middle school is better than some of the colleges his dad attended, according to his father.  It seemed like everyone was excited; students, teachers and parents alike.  Everyone kept repeating, “This is a brand new school!”.

The school was paid for through a 2005 bond referendum and cost $20 million.  Oh sure, it has things like lockers, a library, a cafeteria, things you would expect to find in any middle school around the country, but it also has state of the art technology that makes it stand out.   

What I’m talking about when I say state of the art technology include features like wireless networks, interactive whiteboards that can be controlled using a pen or just a finger, laptops, mobile units with computers, and surround sound in every classroom.   In these classrooms with the surround sound, teachers all wear microphones so all students can hear them very well. 

The auditorium in the new school seats 700 people.  The building is eco-friendly with the temperature being controlled by something called Geothermal wells.   

“It’s been a major thrill for us to come in and open this brand new building in TPS and for the west side Tulsa culture,” said Clinton Middle School Principal Shelly Holman.

The open house will be held in September.  The hope is that the parking lot and some of the landscaping will be done by that time. 

You can find more information on all schools in the Tulsa area.