A former Tulsa Regional Chamber chair said Thursday that Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Ebony Johnson and her team have implemented an overdue framework of accountability at TPS. 

“To watch what was kind of a beaten-down culture turn into one of vibrancy has been probably one of the most impressive things I’ve seen,” said Knight, owner of Knight Automotive Group and 2025 chair of the Chamber’s Board of Directors. “We need to keep that momentum. 

“The feedback I get a lot of times is `Can we trust the administration? Are we at a place where we can invest in Tulsa Public (Schools).’ My resounding answer to that is ‘absolutely.’” 

Knight shared his sentiment at a Chamber-hosted news conference advocating the passage of TPS’s $609 bond proposition, which goes before voters on April 7. 

Thursday marked the second time in less than a month that the Chamber has hosted a news conference detailing the TPS proposition. On Wednesday, TYPRO’s, a Community Development initiative of the Chamber, also held a news conference on the subject at the Tulsa City-County Central Library.

The Chamber’s Board of Directors voted in February to endorse the TPS proposal, which, if passed, will not increase tax rates. 

“When we talk about what makes a city truly competitive — and what makes it a place where people want to live, work and invest — it always comes back to one foundational thing: a strong public education system,” said Mike Neal, president and CEO of the Tulsa Regional Chamber.

“…To them, a community that actively supports its public schools sends a powerful message — that we’re invested in our future.”

The bond package for TPS, which serves more than 34,000 students and is the region’s third-largest employer, is divided into four parts, each of which will be voted upon separately: 

• $276 million for safe learning environments
• Nearly $201 million for learning opportunities and career development
• Roughly $105 million for student and staff technology
• And $27.2 million for transportation 

“With this bond funding, TPS is focused on expanding programs that meet students where they are and prepare them for where they’re going, things such as career academies, more industry-quality experiences, modern lab spaces and career tech environments right inside our high schools,” Neal said. “These are the kinds of investments that bridge the gap between education and employment.”

Pushing for approval of the bond issue alongside Knight and Neal were Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols; Dr. Ray Owens, senior pastor of Metropolitan Baptist Church; Cassie Reese, chief external strategy officer for Parkside Psychiatric Hospital & Clinic; and Moises Echeverria, president and CEO of the Foundation for Tulsa Schools. 

More than $40 million of the proposal is earmarked for post-secondary education, including creating new “career academies” at all senior high schools. 

“When we talk about putting young people on a path to economic mobility, it is about opening up those pathways to connect them to the jobs that are in this economy,” Nichols said. “And this economy is strong right now. Making our kids can get there is critically important.”

State law requires bond measures to receive at least 60% of the vote for passage. In 2021, more than 70% of voters opted to approve four TPS proposals totaling $414 million. 

“The most important thing about this package is that it touches every kid in every school in the largest school district in the state of Oklahoma,” the mayor said. “…For me, this is about what do you think about our city. This is a defining moment for our community.”