Meeker’s Board of Education adopted a resolution this week setting the date and time for the sale of its $850,000 bonds approved during last week’s election.
A new board member was sworn in and the board also approved holding this year’s commencement exercises at Firelake Arena.
Josh Elliott last week won a four-year unexpired term for Office No. 5 on the school board defeating Robyn Miller 230 votes to 89. He was sworn in during Monday night’s meeting by Board President Ashley Sellers.
The $850,000 bond issue was overwhelmingly approved by Meeker School District voters. Proposition 1 won with more than 76 percent voting in favor and Proposition 2 garnered more than 74 percent of the vote.
The board, in adopting the resolution regarding the General Obligation Bond issue, set 1 p.m. on Friday, May 7, as the time for the sale of the bonds. School Supt. Jeff Pruitt advised the board members that bids on the bonds must be received by the school by 12:45 p.m. that day.
Meeker School Supt. Jeff Pruitt prior to the election said the first proposition is for improvements district wide and for vehicles for district use.
The second proposition is to acquire vehicles for pupil transportation, he said.
The board voted to ap prove holding this year’s commencement exercises at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 22, at Firelake Arena. Pruitt told board members that the students voted and they selected Firelake Arena.
During his superintendent’s report, Pruitt reviewed the action he has taken after receiving February’s gas bill for the district that totaled $51,702.78.
He told them he sent a letter of protest to a third party gas vendor about the exorbitant bill the district received in March. Along with the letter, he sent a payment that he believes was appropriate, he noted.
Pruitt said with the letter he sent a payment of $2,743.39, which was 19 percent more than the district’s January bill.
He mailed the letter on March 30, Pruitt has stated.
During Monday night’s meeting, Pruitt said, “I still have not heard from anyone in claims with Symmetry.”
Pruitt said last week, “I got in touch finally with a representative of Symmetry Energy Solutions and that person at Symmetry didn’t give me any immediate solution to the problem.”
He was told by the person at Symmetry Energy that he would take a look at the letter and send it on up the channels.
At Monday night’s meeting Board member
Bret Wood inquired about whether other school districts had received much higher than normal gas bills.
Pruitt answered he had checked with several other districts, noting that Ponca City had received one for $150,000.
Pruitt emphasized to the board, “I think our bill was very unrealistic.”
In other business, the members in realigning the board decided to maintain Ashley Sellers as president, Lindel Standlee as vice president and Bret Wood as clerk.
They also:
Approved a contract
Approved a contract with Central Oklahoma School Pictures for the 2021-2022 school year.
Adopted a resolution for Schools and Libraries Universal Services (E-Rate) for 2021-2022. It also authorizes filling out applications for funding year 2021-2022 and payments of the applicant’s share upon approval of funding and receipt of services.
They approved a contract with the East Central On-Line Consortium Cooperative Agreement with Gordon Cooper Technology Center for the 2021-2022 school year.
Renewed a contract with the Department of Rehabilitation Services Transition School to Work for the 2021-2022 school year.