Poteau School Board looks to fill McBee’s vacated seat

The Poteau Public Schools Board of Education will look to fill the vacated seat during Monday night’s 6 p.m. meeting at the Bert Corr Administrative Building. Seat No. 5 became vacated when former board member Matt McBee moved out of that district.

That isn’t the only personnel matters on the docket for the board Monday night as it will look to accept the resignations of Poteau Public Schools Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Vallerie Martin, Vocational/Agriculture Teacher Crystal Shipman and maintenance man Jerry Beal and the hirings of Shannon Barnes as the new CFO, Billy Adrean as head soccer coach, Randy Steelman as aviation teacher and Justin Payne as an adjunct teacher/vocational-agriculture teacher.

There is a proposed executive session leading up to the personnel matters being taken care of by the board. Also during the executive session, it’s expected the board may discuss real estate matters.

Poteau Public Schools Interim Superintendent Dr. John Turner will give his report to the board.

The board will look to approve three outof-state activities. One is for the PHS freshmen and seventh-eighth grade basketball teams to participate in a basketball tournament the week of Jan. 16 in Van Buren, Ark. The second is for the Seventh-Eighth Grade Academic Center’s Reading Club to go to Books-A-Million in either April or May in Fort Smith, Ark., while the third one is for the PHS Pom Squad to go to a marching auxiliaries regional dance competition Jan. 28 in Tyler, Texas.

The board will look to approve any updates to the school policy and activity fundraisers as well as to appoint a Poteau Rodeo Club sponsor and stipend for serving in this capacity for the remainder of this school year.

Martin will give her financial and encumbrances reports.