The Meeker Board of Education Monday night authorized School Supt. Jeff Pruitt to seek an interim elementary principal to finish out the current year.
The board members’ action came following an executive session that lasted 1½ hours. The members went into that session to discuss offering a contract for the 2023-2024 school year to Pruitt, to take up the elementary school principal issue and consider offering a contract for the 2022-2023 school year to Trey Doss for ISD (In school detention.)
Upon returning to open meeting, the board first voted to offer the contract to Pruitt, then approved authorizing him to find an interim elementary principal and hired Doss for the IDS position.
During December’s board meeting, under new business, the board voted to accept the resignation of Elementary Principal Candice Gatz that she had submitted to Pruitt.
A sizable crowd showed up for Monday evening’s meeting, enough so that the board briefly recessed to move the meeting from the board room to the school auditorium.
However, no one spoke when Board President Ashley Sellers came to the Public Comments agenda item and announced there was a 15-minute time limit and that the board couldn’t respond to any comments.
During their reports, High School Principal Brad Buxton informed the board the boys basketball team won the Davenport tournament last weekend and the girls finished third.
He also talked about the Meeker Ag Booster Swine Jackpot show this Saturday at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds in Chandler and that powerlifting was gearing up this month as well.
High school enrollment totals 210 students.
Middle School Principal Rodney Treat reported enrollment is 168, that basketball is still going and he also noted that powerlifting is under way.
Virginia Pritchard, Meeker Education Center/Alternative Education Principal, informed the board, “Overall we have 86 students in K-12 that are taking advantage of the virtual and blended learning opportunities.”
Pritchard noted that number is an increase of eight over last month’s report.
She also pointed out that a State Department of Education representative forAlternative Education conducted her in person audit on Dec. 13, 2022 and stated that Meeker performed well and complimented Meeker’s program, stating, “you have a good thing here, keep up the good work.”
In other business, board members: Heard a presentation of the 2021-2022 audit by Bledsoe, Hewett and Gullekson.
Approved the 2022-2023 audit and engagement letter with that firm.
Approved holding high school graduation on May 12, 2023 at OBU.