2023 Projects

Interior renovations that provided more space for Construction I and II courses were finished in January 2023. The new HVAC was delayed until October due to supply chain issues and air conditioning units that were unavailable for 13 months.  

Finishing touches were put on the new band building, including roof warranty work and adjustments made to the giant video display that serves the football stadium. 

In March, the district completed playground improvements at Peters and Rosa Parks elementary schools. New equipment/toys were installed, improving safety and accessibility. The pea gravel was removed and replaced with pre-manufactured wood chips, which provides a “safer fall” material. Ramps were added where children enter the play area, making them ADA accessible. Some of the toys have been replaced with ones that are more accessible. 

Andersen Elementary received a new roof in March, improving the energy efficiency and the air quality in the building. The new roof has an R-value of R-30, which is a measure of the conductive heat flow resistance of insulating materials. The minimum requirement for roofs in Oklahoma is an R-15, so this new roof will save energy used to heat and cool the building while keeping everybody comfortable. 

The old football locker room at the Union Freshman Academy has been converted into an air rifle range for the Junior Reserve Officer’s Training Corp (JROTC), according to Senior Master Sergeant (Ret.) Dan Snow. The large locker banks have been removed and room made for the cadets to use it as a shooting range and a multipurpose room.  

“The cadets really enjoy having a place to call their own,” said Snow. “In addition to a shooting range, we can use the space to perform stationary drills and physical education workouts.” 

When set up as a shooting range, the cadets have seven 10-yard firing lanes where they can practice with air rifles that shoot soft pellets into a ballistic nylon backdrop. 

An updated secure entry and front-office layout were made to improve security at Jarman. New flooring and millwork were installed throughout the building. New exterior signage completed the facelift of one of Union’s older buildings. Jarman was the last remaining elementary that did not have a secure entry. 

In April, improvements were made to the loading dock at Operations. While this may sound insignificant, almost every item of food that feeds our district’s 15,000 students is loaded onto this dock. Every food item that isn’t delivered directly to a school goes to the distribution center. The previous loading dock failed from ground erosion and high usage.

Volleyball has a new home at Union High School, with the completion of a two-court practice area, new locker room and a large team meeting space in what was previously home to spirit and gymnastics. One of Union’s goals is to ensure that all teams have adequate space for games and practice. 

“Volleyball could not be happier with their new facility, and we take full advantage of it,” said Coach Chadd McKee. “In our off season, we bring the 7th and 8th grade players over and train them for an hour and then train with the High School after that. Second semester we ran our entire program through the new facility. The girls love the new locker room and team meeting space.  We feel very fortunate to have the new space.”

• The track surface was repaired, and turf replaced at the Union High School track in August, as the turf was 11 years old.   
• Ellen Ochoa Elementary received security upgrades including security film on windows and locks on some interior doors. 
• Portions of the HVAC system at Grove Elementary were replaced in the old part of the building with a large multi-unit system. 
• A sewer line was installed at Union High School, replacing the old cast iron. 
• Several roof improvements were made at the High School, replacing some sections. 
• Roy Clark and Andersen elementaries had exterior improvements made over the summer, including new paint, signage and, in some instances, lighting. 
• Freezer and cooler units were replaced at Andersen and Cedar Ridge. (These were actually paid for out of Child Nutrition funds, enabling the district to maximize existing dollars). 
• Flooring improvements at Peters, Rosa Parks, Jefferson and Alternative School were made in portions of each school. 
• Districtwide pavement improvements were completed in September.