The Norman Public Schools Board of Education approved agreements for a new Oklahoma Aviation Academy facility that will be located next to OU's Max Westheimer Airport during its meeting Monday.

According to the agenda, NPS will plan, develop, construct and operate the facility, which will enable a synergy between the aviation students and the activity of the airport.

According to the NPS website, OU, Moore Norman Technology Center and industry partners from public and private sectors worked with the district to create an aviation program for high school students in the fall of 2022. In the program, freshman students will engage in a STEM-focused curriculum with an emphasis on aviation and aerospace.

The academy's representatives at the meeting said they haven't done any air quality studies, but they feel confident they’ve successfully surveyed environmental and zoning issues.

During the public opinion session, Cynthia Rogers, OU professor of economics, gave her opinion on the academy citing an announcement from the Environmental Protection Agency. The announcement states that emissions from leaded gas used by piston-engine aircraft can reasonably be linked to health concerns, the first step in regulating leaded gas used by the planes.

OU recently implemented a three-year plan to replace its aging fleet of 19 aircraft and increase the fleet to 28 aircraft. The university will also expand its training program and increase the number of pilots. 

Rogers said she’s concerned about what exposure to leaded gas means for children who are near the runway. She contacted the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, which monitors air quality across the state. The department told Rogers the lead dissipates quickly, however, other factors such as wind direction and the number of landings and takeoffs must be considered.

“I think it’s important to note that these documents, and as any documents would, say we have to adhere to the law, and these documents actually specifically call out the (Federal Aviation Administration) and the (FAA regulations) … as to apply to this site,” Sean Rieger, an attorney at Rieger Law Group, said in response to Rogers. “We have specifically burdened ourselves, as OU has, to follow all of those regulations as they forth come out as well.”

The board approved multiple agenda items for the academy, including two ground lease agreements, a development agreement and a sublease agreement.

"Health and safety is always something that we pay close attention to,” Rieger said.

NPS will now move forward with bonding, planning and development.

The board approved an energy management service agreement between NPS, EightTwenty Oklahoma, and Brightwell Capital Partners to install solar panels on the roofs of Norman schools.

Tony Capucille, CEO of EightTwenty Oklahoma, said the installation could be around spring break when school is out of session. Capucille estimates the district will end up paying 20% less for energy with the solar panels.

Holly Nevels, associate superintendent, presented a proclamation celebrating American Education Week from Nov. 13-17.

Stephanie Williams, executive director of student services, revealed the National Merit Scholarship semifinalists for Norman High School and Norman North High School. There are 15 semifinalists who will have the opportunity to advance to the finals and will eventually compete for 7,880 National Merit Scholarships with a combined worth of over $35 million.

Lucyann Harjo, the Indian Education coordinator, gave an update on the Indian Education program.

According to the NPS website, the Indian Education program provides paths that foster character, cultural awareness and academic excellence in students, empowering them to reach their full potential to positively impact the world.

Harjo said a unique opportunity for the program was discussing "Killers of the Flower Moon," a film exploring themes of Native American exploitation released in October.

“We knew a lot of our elders were visiting with the film and crew,” Harjo said. “We knew how significant this movie was going to be. We purchased a lot of books through the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board Grant. We created book clubs at all our middle schools and gave them books and talked about the books.”

This story was edited by Alexia Aston, Taylor Jones and Peggy Dodd. Mary Ann Livingood and Avery Avery copy edited this story.