School buildings that are still in use are tricky: we will always advocate for what’s best for students, but we also want to make sure that due diligence has taken place in regards to a building’s viability. While we celebrate the passage of the bond issue for Oklahoma City Public Schools, we are disheartened to see that the Capitol Hill High School building could be demolished to make room for a new structure.
The 1928 building, designed by Solomon Andrew Layton, is representative of many Oklahoma City school buildings constructed to accommodate a growing population during the 1920’s boom years. Its design is well detailed Collegiate Gothic. Though the 250K sq. ft. building is structurally sound, the interior does not meet the needs of the modern classroom. The landmark building, located on the historic Grand Boulevard Loop has been deemed eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. We are also monitoring other buidlings in the district, including Taft Middle School.