A group of Tulsa girls raised more than $1,700 selling lemonade at Darlington Park on Sunday, Sept. 27, sending every dollar to the Foundation for Tulsa Schools.
The fundraiser, called "Sip for Schools," comes as Tulsa Public Schools grapples with a $12 million budget shortfall that could lead to 18 school closures. The girls set up shop at 2 p.m. and sold cups until supplies ran out, KTUL reported.
On Saturday, Sept. 26, local business Mandy's Fresh Lemonade donated more than 40 bottles of assorted flavored lemonade to the stand. One customer contributed $100.
After tallying the weekend's sales, the girls chipped in their own money to round the total to $1,800. Their goal is $2,000.
A girl named Zaida was photographed counting donations at the stand.
TPS budget shortfall and school closures
The fundraiser taps into a district-wide concern. Superintendent Ebony Johnson presented a draft plan on Sept. 21 recommending the closure or repurposing of 18 schools to address the shortfall, as the Tulsa World reported. The proposal would affect an estimated 4,726 students from 4,037 families, according to Tulsa Flyer reporting.
The district's general fund lost $20 million in federal revenue last fiscal year, largely because pandemic relief funding expired. Chief Financial Officer Kristin Stephens said at the Sept. 21 board meeting that TPS would need 2,600 additional students to balance its budget.
At that same board meeting, Johnson called the situation "a great call to action … for people to stand up and speak out," adding that "there's some very hard decisions we have to make in our school districts, and Tulsa Public Schools is definitely a district that feels that."
As we reported Sept. 25, the closure debate has also raised questions about the cost of maintaining aging school buildings.
The school board is scheduled to vote on the closure proposal Oct. 19. Any approved closures would not take effect until the 2027-28 school year.
KTUL said it would update readers if the girls hold the lemonade stand again. No future date has been announced.
Upcoming TPS community sessions
Residents can weigh in on the closure proposal at several upcoming information sessions:
- Tuesday, Sept. 29: Martin Regional Library, 2601 S. Garnett Road, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, Oct. 6: Bronson Brookside Library
- Thursday, Oct. 8: Parent Resource Center
- Monday, Oct. 12: Central Library Downtown
- Wednesday, Oct. 14: Zarrow Regional Library
