FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 6, 2025
Contact: AJ Graffeo, Public Information Officer
Putnam City Schools hosted members of the media, community leaders, legislators, and local city leaders to the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Putnam City Schools Centennial Center building and park on Monday, October 6th. The new building is physically located at 5500 NW 40th St., Warr Acres. Our address will soon become 1914 Centennial Pkwy.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place just outside the front entrance of the building. We heard from Superintendent Dr. Fred Rhodes and Putnam City Board of Education President Steve Burger, then, with the help of all guests, cut the ribbon to officially open the new building. Following the ribbon-cutting and open house, the first Board Meeting was held in the new Board Room, with an extra special dedication surprise at the beginning, renaming the Board Room to the "Gail LoPresto Board Room."
About the Centennial Center and Park
The vision for this space began with voter approval of the 2014 Centennial Bond and the 2017 Momentum Bond. Now, the PC Centennial Center and Park are officially open and will serve as a landmark facility designed to be a vibrant and empowering hub for the District to continue to “Go Boldly.” The building and park are comprised of six key centers: a history center, a professional development center, a community center/community lawn, a School Board center, an administrative center, and a performing arts hall. The 2017 Momentum Bond added the Performing Arts Hall, which is a mid-size venue for elementary and middle school use. Many of the spaces will be available to rent by the local community, providing modern, open, and beautiful areas for meetings, receptions, performances, celebrations, and more.
The site of the Centennial Center and Park is the new icon of the District on historic Route 66. Putnam City Schools, Oklahoma’s 1st independent school district, began on this very corner in 1914. On the inside, portions of the original oak hardwood flooring from the Arnett Building, constructed in 1909, are now a key feature in the beautiful Centennial Center rotunda. On the outside, the District’s logo, the Torch of Knowledge, shines bright to everyone driving by and represents the nearly 77,000 graduates who circle the globe and 19,000 current students who fill our classrooms.
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