The Lives Behind Our Decisions: Why Your Vote Matters

By Joelle Jolly, Superintendent, Great Plains Technology Center

What if one opportunity could change the direction of a life? What if the person who walked through our doors looking for a second chance would one day stand in front of a classroom, offering that same chance to someone else?

At Great Plains Technology Center, I don’t have to imagine what that looks like. I’ve seen it happen. 

A young woman came to us through SCORE, our dropout recovery program. She needed an opportunity to finish high school and find a path forward. Through SCORE, she earned her high school diploma while learning culinary skills—gaining not only an education, but also practical skills and the confidence to build a future. 

But her story didn’t end with a diploma.  She returned to GPTC as a teacher’s aide. Today, she is a culinary instructor at our school. Let that sink in. 

The student who once needed someone to believe in her is now helping other students believe in themselves. She didn't simply leave our doors with an education. She came back through those doors to help change lives.

That is the power of education. That is the power of opportunities. And that is what it means to invest in people. 

We may never know how many students she will encourage, how many will discover a talent they didn’t know they had, or how many families will benefit from the skills she teaches. We cannot put a dollar figure on the confidence she helps restore or the possibilities she helps students see for the first time. 

But we know those things matter. And we know her story could have been very different if that first opportunity had never existed. 

Stories like hers are why conversations about education and community funding deserve our attention. Behind every program is a person. Behind every classroom is a future still being written. And behind every funding decision are opportunities that may shape not only a student’s life, but also the lives of the people that student will one day touch. 

On November 3, Oklahoma voters will consider State Question 847, a proposed constitutional amendment that could have implications for property-tax revenue and the public services it supports. The full impact on local communities and educational institutions is not yet known. I encourage every voter to review the state question, seek reliable information, consider how it may affect their community, and make an informed decision. 

For Great Plains Technology Center, local ad valorem collections typically account for approximately 43% of recurring General Fund revenue and 98% of recurring Building Fund revenue. Across Oklahoma’s CareerTech system, local property taxes are the primary funding source, providing approximately 63% of its revenue.  

These funds help support our programs, maintain our facilities and provide students with the hands-on training they need to succeed. As operating costs rise and workforce needs evolve, changes in property-tax revenue growth could influence the choices CareerTech centers face in sustaining programs, maintaining facilities and providing educational opportunities. The extent of any impact on GPTC will depend on how the measure affects revenue and on future funding and budget decisions. 

These are more than financial questions. Career and technology education is often measured in credentials earned, jobs secured and workforce needs met. Those outcomes matter, but they cannot tell the whole story.
They cannot fully measure the parent who gains the skills to provide a more secure future for a child. They cannot measure the courage it takes for someone to start over after a setback. And they cannot capture the moment a student who once doubted themselves discovers they have something valuable to offer the world.

The young woman who came to SCORE reminds us that education’s impact does not end when a student graduates. Sometimes, the greatest impact begins afterward. She is now part of another student’s story, helping create opportunities she once needed herself.

That is how opportunity multiplies. One person is given a chance, grows in confidence and ability, and reaches back to help someone else. The impact moves from one student to another, from one family to another, and from one generation to the next. Imagine how many lives can be changed when we continue investing in that possibility. 

As November 3 approaches, I encourage every eligible voter to take time to learn about State Question 847 and participate in the decision. Read the proposal, ask questions, consider the information available, and cast your ballot. Our communities are stronger when people take part in decisions that may shape their future.

At GPTC, we know that every student who walks through our doors carries a story, a challenge and a possibility. Some need new skills to advance in their careers. Some are preparing for their first jobs. Others need a fresh start and someone willing to see their potential before they can see it themselves. 

We cannot always know what a single opportunity will set in motion. We may not see the future teacher, skilled worker, business owner or mentor in the student sitting before us today. But we can create the conditions for that future to take shape. 

Someday, another student will walk through our doors uncertain about what comes next. That student may need a diploma, a skill, a caring instructor or simply someone who believes their future can be different from their past.
What happens next may change the course of that student’s life. And that student may one day come back to help change someone else’s.

When we invest in people, we invest in every life they will touch. 

That is the promise of education. That is the promise of CareerTech. And that is why the choices we make today matter to the generations who will inherit our tomorrow.