Tulsa World from Tulsa, Oklahoma • 22

A 22 Tulsa World Sunday May 26 2002 SCHOOL: The Burbank district was created 96 years ago ROM A 13 Thursday was the last day of classes for the year and forever Declining student enrollment meant fewer state dollars to pay the teachers administrators and bills in the school district that started some 96 years ago in the northwest comer of Osage Coun ty The school board decided offi cially last fall to close the school and began the planning that will send the 40 students to nearby Shidler airfax and Ponca City schools Gauger believe the school actually was closing heard that rumor for years and generally ignored it "Then it she said was like being hit in the when the decision was made Gauger reflected during a quiet moment in her classroom before her students returned from one of cook Linda praised lunches All around Gaug er the walls are plastered with posters word lessons and chil drawings Burbank was first and only school A Cleveland Okla high school graduate Gauger got her teaching degree from North eastern State University She was paid $6000 a year when she started in Burbank in 1971 and lived in a or school boarding house at the school that first year She started as a home econom ics teacher then got the first two grades Over the years opened the school early so students could use the comput ers has driven a school bus fewest kids (seven) on the longest route (34 and even volunteered to host summer reading programs Along the way she married stonemason Charles Gauger and raised a son Chris Gauger missed school only eight days in her 31 years That included two days when her hus band died in 1996 point in staying she explained She also missed a day for the fu neral of Pawnee County Sheriff Dwight Woodrell last fall Wood rell had made Gauger a reserve deputy in one of his first classes two years ago before he was killed last October she said Gauger know what do next year Teaching openings are few in the area She may turn to law enforcement full time The same quandary confronts teachers Ginger Johnston who has been here 13 years LuAnn Christian 14 years and Michele Low and Sherrie Martin each one year They have or will apply else where all agree After all teach ing is their life They will miss the small classrooms the rapport with parents all family Rancher Jim Martin hated to see the end of school After all he liis dad and uncles and aunts 911: The tax is projected to generate about $3619000 next fiscal year ROM A 13 bill) they know it goes somehow to running the (911) center and LeStourgeon said A 5 percent tax took effect in January 1989 The tax paid for enhanced 911 service which al lows dispatchers to see a address Enhanced 911 went on line in July 1989 After the first year the tax rate was lowered to 3 percent until 1994 when the City Council ap proved an ordinance that re turned the levy to 5 percent and expanded the use of die funds to include the purchase of emergen cy communication equipment Since 1994 the tax revenue has been used to purchase wire less computers for the fire de partment and to implement a similar system for police The funds also have been used to pay for the upkeep of the 911 center and upgrade the 800 megahertz radio system The 1994 ordinance also re quires subsequent City Councils to review the fee once a year to determine whether the rate should be adjusted But one council veteran said he recall the panel ever reviewing the measure think anyone ever made us aware that we really needed to review said Sam Roop councilor sujee 1996 Photos by JOHN CLANTONTulsa World LT 3: fljggQ du Hi tS! 4 TnvnHBH wC xr3j2Wf lAijW iffffgllr jlL XttUBlJ IlHBBMMuMBO iflHM igraggfr inin feO V' bank' school system which prompted a standing ovation Rowe her husband children and grandkids went through Burbank classes over the years Williams also gave a special plaque to Gauger for her 31 years of work with students which prompted another standing ovation you all" Gauger said enjoyed your children through the Williams who will be Avant su perintendent next year said year in Burbank was one of the best years of my because of the students parents and teach ers Then Williams told the five eighth graders they occupy a place in history the last class to graduate from Burbank School District 20 be the same for you but it will be different in a good he said about to start the best journey of your The ceremony ended and the crowd dispersed to the lunch room for a reception and school yard for farewells A sturdy building school building and supplies re vert to Shidler but Shidler is ex pected to deed the building back to the town of Burbank Plans are under way to use the super cottage or teacher age as an alumni association mu seum for displaying the trophies school pictures and oth er memorabilia Hannah Hartness (right) a fourth grader leaves Burbank School at the end of classes Thursday The school building reverts to Shidler but Shidler Is expected to deed the building back to the town of Burbank Another sandstone building the first school also is being re roofed for possible use as a mu ill Amlu Un i III 1 ml ftr JJjk Ml Sky Conely a second grader cleans out her desk at Burbank School had gone through all 12 years at Burbank over the years The Martin family has been in the territory since his grandfather William A Martin drove a herd of cattle up from Del Rio Texas in 1892and liked the area so much he moved there Martin 55 recalls when 20000 people resided among the high Osage hills scattered along oil rigs that stretched north to Shid ler during the oil boom dad and uncles were on the state champion basketball teams in the 1930s and Martin said Those were the years when Burbank had plenty of students to hold classes through the 12th grade when crowds jammed the small gymna sium to sideline and even in the to watch games Martin finished all 12 grades at Burbank but the high school closed in 1967 (j a hated to lose the school (i the whole community goes Martin said just lost our store (on US 60) today too It closed its Deputy Sheriff Dwight Barnard watched the school commence ment He remembers that he and his dad Jim Barnard had the same first grade teacher Lucille Weiser who retired in 1961 after 38 years of teaching hate to see it Barnard said echoed Martin all family just a normal Eighth graders Camille Conely Melissa Mobley Morgan owler Matthew Settiemire and Kent Dummer rehearsed briefly Thurs day afternoon for the commencement kicked in last night that I thinking since it comes as part of the budget we have the opportunity to re view it if we want to ask about it but I think ever asked about it because it never comes Roop said The tax is projected to gener ate about $3619000 next fiscal year About $1693000 will be used to upgrade the public safety radio system and replace comput erized dispatch workstations The salaries of about eight em ployees in the 911 center are funded with the tax A surplus of about $18 million is projected by the end of fiscal year on June 30 2003 Despite the surplus city offi cials predict leaner times to come because of the growth in wireless telephone use and more people are ditching their wireline phone and going to a cell phone for every LeStourgeon said whereas we got 50 cents a month from Joe Blow last year now on wireless so getting zero the fund is not growing with the Basic residential telephone ser vice is about $20 per month a Southwestern Bell spokeswoman said The $20 rate would actually equate to about a $1 per month tax The growth in cellular tele phone use has led to an increase in calls to 911 especially during high profile incidents like traffic accidents and fires A recent state law permits communities to call for a vote of the people to impose a 911 tax on wireless telephones LeStour geon said Officials have discussed asking voters this fall to consider a mea sure to impose a 50 cent monthly tax on wireless telephones LeS tourgeon said A portion of the money gener ated by the wireless telephone tax would be used to implement a computer system that would al low dispatchers to better pinpoint the location of cellular callers LeStourgeon said Curtis Killman World staff writer can be reached at 581 8471 or via mail at curtiskillmantulsaworidcom CallOn Our Summer Air Conditioning Service Checkup! CALL 258 COOL OR 2S8 HEAT LENNOX A Honeywell MS Assurance cool asa hw A UmOm Service be back next said Conely the class valedictorian owler recalled that her dad two uncles and aunt graduated from Burbank and wondered how she will like school in air fax next year Dummer said find people to pick on next at Shidler where he wants to play eight man football teachers are mean They say you can get away with more in a small school said Dummer with a smile that probably got him out of many jams Settlemire has attended Bur bank only 1 years and has no emotional tie to the school: just a normal school to he said He looks forward to Shidler classes to pursue boxing kind of said Mobley of last day think people would try to keep it Mobley will go to Shidler but will miss the small class sizes at Burbank where when anything happens knows about it the second it But Conely is ready to go to Ponca City I need a lit tle Last graduates last commencement drew more than 160 people to the gymnasium added in 1938 to the 1920 built three story school Parents grandparents former graduates and children of all ages crowded the side bleachers and metal chairs on the basketball floor Karen Moore led her last kin dergarten and pre school class in a 10 minute program that fea tured the last four graduating kindergarteners While presenting student awards Moore choked up and Superintendent Tod Williams fin ished her remarks for her tear up every Moore said later it was a little worse this year It was really n1l! Williams presented school sec retary JoAnn Rowe with a special plaque noting her 26 years of outstanding service to the Bur seum or community gathering place Some people wonder if perhaps the school itself can be reborn as a bed and breakfast or private school After all the building is sturdy having outlasted hundreds of children over its years It sits atop a hill overlooking miles of green prairie and wooded valley and the homes of the pop ulation of 155 Only the water tower is higher On the last Saturday in June every year the Burbank alumni reunion is held on the school grounds This reunion may be a bit sadder Class dismissed: 9:15 pm and the school is quiet Everyone is gone except janitor Tom An derson who is also a bus driver Anderson starts turning off the lights in the gymnasium then the classrooms and finally the of fices) i School is out Ralph Marler World staff writer can be reached at 581 8480 or via mail at ralphmariertulsaworidcom I I Offer valid Sunday through riday in Lula only Offer expires June 14 2002 Must present coupon at check in When making reservation mention Offer Code HOT AD2 LL I 'ra Jr in nnA xXiir IllYllfinilC AaQA mnmc 31" trip 1VI U1U 111CJ1L All A CL1UMAOV All VULV1 UUJ mav ifCanri Hotel featuring comfortable rooms afid sensational suites Additional amenities include remote ontrollelV din room myiS3 Relax with your choicer of outdoor of indodr pools Jacuzzi 1 or work out in oehtefj' 2 j'alj 4 1 1 1 1 asino EntcrUlnBrtftt Redeem this coupon for a one night stay at the luxurious Isle of Capri Hotel Lula for only 24e9 9 Plus Tax Special room rate of S2499 Present this coupon at check in When making reservation mention Offer Code: HOT AD2 LL Call 1 800 THE ISLE if dsleof At tne root or tne neiena onaqe in mia ivid 777 Isle of Capri Parkway 1 800 THE ISLE (843 4753) wwwisleofcapricasinocom Gambling problem? 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