City: Tulsa, OK

Category: Education

Telephone: (918) 357-4321

Address: 8506 E. 61st St.

Description: The Union Public Schools Independent District is located about 8 miles southeast of downtown Tulsa and dates back to 1919 when it was literally out in the country. Four small communities—Alsum, Boles, Mayo, and McCollough—consolidated to form Union. The communities have disappeared but the spirit of community has not.Union serves approximately 14,500 students at 19 facilities—13 elementary schools, a 6th/7th-grade center, an 8th-grade center, an intermediate high school (grades 9 and 10), a high school, and an alternative school. There is also an early childhood centerSpecial facilities serving the district include the 2,000-seat Performing Arts Center, located at the high school, and the Union Multipurpose Activity Center, which houses a 6,000-seat arena, fine arts and athletic offices, classrooms, a wellness and sports medicine center, and a district spirit store carrying a variety of Union-logo clothing items and accessories. The Intermediate High School is the site of the baseball/softball complex and a challenging ropes course. The soccer complex is located at the eighth-grade center The sixth/seventh-grade center is home to the district’s 3-meter swimming pool and has a seating capacity of 400.The teacher-to-student ratio in the elementary schools is 1 to 22.6. Art, music, and physical education classes are a regular part of the elementary curriculum. Each school has specialists in remedial reading, speech therapy, and special education. In addition, each school has its own library/media specialist, nurse, and school counselor.There are 23 Pre-AP courses and 21 AP courses offered to older students. There are currently four levels of Spanish, French, and German taught, and in the fall of 2009, Chinese was added to the curriculum. Also in the fall of 2009, a special program, the Union Collegiate Academy, was added for selected juniors and seniors. This five-point, one-hour class gives students an opportunity to look at college and career options, engage with professionals in the community, and be introduced to a number of academic disciplines. The program partners with the University of Oklahoma–Tulsa, Oklahoma State University–Tulsa, Tulsa Community College, Northeastern State University–Broken Arrow, the Tulsa Technology Center, and the University of Tulsa.Union programs offer over 100 opportunities for students to be engaged in fine arts, speech and debate, clubs and organizations, and intramural and competitive sports. Team sports include football, cross-country, volleyball, fast- and slow-pitch softball, wrestling, swimming, basketball, golf, soccer, track, tennis, and baseball. Most of the Tulsa area schools, including Union, compete in pom and cheer. Union also has a competitive drill team, and many former Highsteppers have gone on to join the famous Kilgore Rangerettes. Secondary student activities include band, chorus, drama, color guard, jazz, speech, debate, student leadership organizations, and subject- and interest-related clubs. Union’s Air Force ROTC unit was Oklahoma’s only representative in the 2009 Presidential Inaugural Parade.Of Union’s 1,041 teachers, 374 have advanced degrees and 69 are nationally certified. Approximately 93 percent of Union graduates continue their education beyond high school.