It’s a story that has become all-too-common across Oklahoma in recent years: class sizes have grown beyond the level of maximum effectiveness due to reduced state funding and growth of district sizes. In order to combat this situation from a grassroots level, The Hands On Initiative was established to raise funds and reduce class sizes in the Jenks Public Schools District, primarily in the elementary and intermediate schools.
The Hands On Initiative was launched by a group of patrons who contributed $1.1 million to the effort. For the 2013-2014 school year, class sizes in kindergarten through 6th grade were reduced by 8 percent. In order to join the Hands On effort, the Jenks Public Schools District committed an additional $957,000 (from a combination of reserves and supplementary revenue due to enrollment growth) to hire 30 new teachers and support staff.
