New board member joins discussion on college, career pathway gaps

The Stillwater Board of Education swore in Dr. Clyde C. Wilson Jr. Tuesday and immediately turned to questions about how the district serves students who don't pursue college after graduation.

Wilson, Oklahoma State University's associate vice president for access and community impact, filled the vacant Ward 2 seat and participated in his first meeting at the district administration building.

The board pulled the district's college remediation report from the consent agenda for extended discussion after board member Dr. Marshall Baker questioned what happens to graduates who don't attend college directly after high school.

Success metric prompts questions about who's not attending college

The district's 2024 graduating class included 369 students, but only 161 enrolled in Oklahoma colleges the following fall, according to data from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

Of those 161 students, only 16 required remedial coursework, giving Stillwater a 9.9 percent remediation rate. The rate was the lowest among the state's largest school districts, according to the report.

"We tout this report a lot," Baker said. "We're the best in the state in college remediation. That's awesome. But I wondered how many students were actually in the cohort of that graduating class."

Baker said the low remediation rate could indicate strong instruction, but also suggests many students who might benefit from college aren't attempting it.

"I was a professor. Lots of students use the remediation services and it's very helpful for them getting to a life with a life of choice where they can have the finances to make choice in their life," Baker said.

Math showed the highest remediation rate among Stillwater students who attended college, with 13 students needing developmental coursework. Three students needed English remediation and five needed reading support, according to the state data.

Wilson raised questions about career readiness programs at younger grade levels.

"Even before we get to the high school, we started thinking about the college readiness and kind of some of the early identification initiatives that are going on within the district," Wilson said.

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Data shows hundreds without college, career track enrollment

Superintendent Tyler Bridges shared data showing 546 students in grades 10 through 12 are not enrolled in any advanced coursework, including AP classes, concurrent enrollment, career tech programs or other specialized tracks.

"We've really gotta go after some of those things and create some of those intentional connections to get that 546 students connected to something," Bridges said. "It's never gonna be zero, but it can be better than 546."

Bridges said the district lacks good tracking systems for students who don't enroll in college immediately after graduation. Exit surveys provide some data about students entering the workforce or military, but gaps remain.

The district is working with high school leadership and counselors to improve career pathway planning and increase intentional touchpoints with students throughout middle and high school, Bridges said.

Baker said adding 100 more students to advanced coursework would require systemic changes to support structures.

"We would have to change the way we do things," Baker said. "There would have to be much more support."

Douglas said new state graduation requirements may help create clearer pathways for students and encourage earlier parent involvement in course selection.

District outperforms peer schools on college readiness metric

Among the state's largest districts, Stillwater's 9.9 percent remediation rate compared favorably to peer districts. Edmond reported 15 percent, Norman 15.1 percent, Yukon 14.2 percent and Jenks 20 percent.

Broken Arrow reported a 28.7 percent remediation rate, while Tulsa showed the highest rate at 39.6 percent among major districts.

The data tracks only students who attended Oklahoma public colleges and universities and does not include students who attended private institutions or out-of-state schools.

District maintains healthy reserves, eyes interest rate impacts

Chief Financial Officer Kristie Newby reported the district's general fund balance stood at $1.8 million as of Dec. 31.

Interest rates on district accounts are tied to Federal Reserve rates and will likely decrease further in the coming year, affecting next year's budget planning, Newby said.

Bridges said the district avoided needing a third revised budget this year due to accurate mid-year predictions.

Budget planning for the 2026-27 school year will begin in February.

New high school enters final construction phase

Project architect Ryan Thomas told the board the new high school construction is entering final phases, with finishing touches being installed throughout the building.

All electrical and power systems are complete, and materials are either installed or ready for installation, Thomas said. The media center is receiving bookcases and millwork, while kitchen equipment is in warehouses awaiting installation.

Thomas said other school districts have contacted Stillwater seeking information about the design and construction process. The project may be only the second new high school opened in the Midwest since the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

OSU administrator fills vacant Ward 2 seat

Wilson replaces Tim Riley, who resigned in December after relocating to Montana for employment. The board interviewed applicants Jan. 8 before selecting Wilson from a pool of candidates, according to a district press release.

Wilson brings nearly two decades of administrative experience in higher education and holds a doctorate in educational leadership. He and his wife, Crystal, have two children in Stillwater schools.

Board President Roberta Douglas said Wilson brings knowledge of federal education funding streams and experience in student programming.

Wilson will serve until the next election in 2027.