Pricing, charge policies for Poteau Public Schools students’ meals may change at some sites
While the Poteau Public Schools Board of Education did not take any action on the item, the potential changes in pricing and charge policies for breakfast and lunch at some district sites for students was discussed at Monday night’s meeting at the Bert Corr Administration Building.
It was mentioned that all students and parents fill out the forms for free and reduced meals, but it also was mentioned that this is the first school year in several years that some district sites have had increases in prices for breakfasts and lunches as each site will vary in that cost. Poteau Public Schools Interim Superintendent Dr. John Turner mentioned if enough free and reduced meals forms are fill out and students then qualify for such meals that the district — either as a whole or at some sites — may qualify once more for free meals.
Poteau Public Schools Board of Education member Matt McBee had his thoughts proven true by Poteau Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Vallerie Martin that none of the child nutrition fund money can be put to use to help resolve any financial issues on this matter.
After a 46-minute executive session in which Board President Ranada Adams said the board did note take any actions or conduct any votes, the board approved the resignations of PHS teacher Angel Barbee, Seventh-Eighth Grade Academic Center science teacher Stacey Bradshaw, paraprofessional Emily Cash and Poteau Primary Elementary School custodian Jovana Guidry.
The board also approved hiring Cash as a Pirate Quest non-certified staff member at the Poteau Primary Elementary School, Seventh-Eighth Grade Academic mathematics teacher Tori Easton, Seventh-Eighth Grade Academic Center teacher Kylee Morris, licensed professional counselor Tiffany Smith, Poteau Primary Elementary School custodian Tim Bageant and two other Pirate Quest/noncertified staff members — Brooklyn Wilson at Poteau Primary Elementary School and Kagney Martindale at Poteau Upper Elementary School — along with Poteau Primary Elementary School paraprofessional Maria Kathleen Midgley.
In his first report as interim superintendent, Turner said he met with the sites’ principals and staff, and commended them.
“I’m impressed with the staff,” said Turner, whose contract as interim superintendent was approved as the final item of Monday night’s meeting.
During Turner’s report, he had Poteau Public Schools Director of Operations Devin Cochran give an update on how different projects are coming along. Cochran said that the district is working with Eastern Oklahoma Fabrications on trying to get the Costner Stadium scoreboard to get back upright after it was blown down in the July 21 microburst rain/wind storm. Cochran said that, weather permitting, that task was to begin Tuesday, which then would be followed by the task of having a technician from Nebco, Incorporated come make electricity available to the scoreboard. The contingency plan is to go ahead with a purchase order that has already been filled out but not submitted to purchase a new strip for the scoreboard, which would be for things like each team’s score, the clock, downs and yardage and number of timeouts per team, which Cochran said, if that route is taken, may be put in place by either the home opener or the second home game of the season. He also said there would be new play clocks installed.
Cochran mentioned to the board that the Vocational Agriculture Building will be getting flooring installed this week, and he said that by Labor Day the facility should be pretty much up and running. Cochran mentioned that the side section of seating at the Bob Lee Kidd Performing Arts Center as well as electrical items are being installed, and the actual theater seats will be installed by Aug. 22. Turner also asked Poteau Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Diane Tillery to give some updates, in which she said “we’ve hit the ground running” after two months in her position and Turner just being in his position for just a couple of weeks.
“We know leadership matters,” Tillery said. “We’re working very hard to develop the relationships with the staff to develop trust and good lines of communications. We feel the pressure for good leadership, and we’re making the transition as smooth as possible.”
Tillery said some staff went through professional community training (PCT) last month as well as trying to make sure all aspects follow all the state guidelines and recommendations — which is being facilitated through Kiamichi Tech.
On Monday, Tillery said staff went through a civilian response course that was done with the aid of the Poteau Police Department to help provide a safe place for Poteau Public Schools students.
“We’ve talked about bringing someone in with a fresh set of eyes to find areas in which we can improve on to provide our students with a safe place (to learn),” Tillery said.
Curriculum-wise, Tillery told the board that new English/Language arts curriculum is in place for pre-kindergarteners through sixth grade as well as talking about ACT and other state testing updates.
“I attended a data institute last week, sponsored by the state department and the University of Oklahoma,” she said regarding testing. “I’m really excited to bring back what I learned and work with the principals.”
Tillery mentioned that the district is closing out last (school) year’s federal programs and awaiting for allocations for this year.
Martin gave the board her financial report, which saw the general fund end July at $1.7 million, the building fund end at just more than $1 million, the child nutrition fund end at $704,401, the bond fund at $552,595, the sinking fund at $38,383, the insurance recovery fund end at $254,837 and the activity fund end at $565,614.
In her encumbrances report, Martin told the board the general fund was $247,007, the building fund was $6,000 which was namely to help repair the Costner Stadium scoreboard, the cafeteria fund was $107,923, the bond fund was $540 which most if not all was to have bonds read, the sinking fund at $10,000 for any bond fee and the insurance recovery fund was $899 which was for a refrigerator for the meat locker at the Vocational Agriculture Building.
The board approved adjusting the reserve of a purchase order to the Oklahoma Health Care Authority for the fiscal year 2022 by increased the total amount by $14,252.32 to $41,752.32 due to not having enough Medicaid billed in July. Martin said this board approval will allow the issue to be properly handled during the fiscal year 2022.
The board approved keeping the monthly board meetings for 6 p.m. on the second Monday of each month, approved the activity fund transfers, approved the 202223 contract/agreements with the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) and Public Counseling Group (PCG), Save the Children for headstart services and CareerTech for career and technology programs, approved the adjunct teacher policy and pay, approved the district’s membership to the Oklahoma State School Board Association (OSSBA) and approved the booster clubs for the 2022-23 school year.
The board approved each site’s list of mentors for the district mentoring program. At Poteau Primary Elementary School, the mentors will be Whitney Crase, Keri Tarpley, Lavette Flynn and Elaine Janway, while Tammy Hampton, Susan Manlove and Tonya Farley will be the Poteau Upper Elementary School mentors. At Pansy Kidd Middle School, Mariah Midgley and Tracy Nesbitt will be mentors, while the Seventh-Eighth Grade Academic Center’s mentors will be Sarah Blakey, Khris Smith, James Dick, Jessica Nelson, Joey Marsh, Whitney Kirby and Tori Easton. High school mentors will be Jami Hackler, Greg Werner, Bridget Dill, Valerie Odom, Crystal Shipman, Misty Upton and Coffee Ballard.
The board approved several account signatory card changes. For an account at Central National Bank, the list will now include Turner, Tillery and McBee and removing former Superintendent Dr. Don Sjoberg and former Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Quarry, while an account at The Community State Bank added Turner and Tillery to the signature card and removing Sjoberg. At CNB safety deposit box, the signature card will now include Turner, Tillery and martin and removing Sjoberg. Turner and Martin will be the purchasing agents for the district and as authorized representatives for all funds, including the child nutrition fund, bond fund, building fund, co-op funds, the activity fund and all federal programs including e-rate, all state programs and all other school programs and activities not listed for the 2022-23 school year.