Hard truth? Oklahoma City is leaving your child out of our success story

by Brent Bushey, Fuel OKC CEO, as featured in The Oklahoman

Oklahoma City is on the rise and the world is taking notice. In just the past decade, we’ve transformed from a flyover town to a nationally recognized destination. We’ve built a thriving Boathouse District, welcomed James Beard-nominated restaurants and created vibrant public spaces like Scissortail Park and a world-class Convention Center. We’re proudly hosting seven events in the 2028 Olympics and hold the title of “Softball Capital of the World.” Our population growth is strong, and we now rank as the 20th largest city in the nation.

And now, we are champions. The Oklahoma City Thunder — our beloved team built on vision, patience and investment — just brought home their first NBA title. It’s more than a sports victory; it’s a reflection of what this city can achieve when we dream big and back it up with action. From MAPS to the Paycom Center, we built the foundation for this moment together.

But as we celebrate this incredible milestone, we must also face a hard truth: our public education system is falling behind, and far too many students are being left out of Oklahoma City’s story of success.