Dale’s Board of Education this week hired several new teachers and a new high school baseball coach and also accepted the resignations of two others.
They also accepted the resignation of Board Member Josh Clark. And the board members reorganized themselves for a year.
Robin Wiley-Greene was elected president, Tim Collins became vice president and Roger Batt is the clerk.
The board will have 60 days to fill the vacancy created by Clark’s resignation or will need to call for an election for someone to serve the remainder of his term.
Board members spent a brief time in executive session before they returned to open meeting where they voted to employ the new teachers, accept the resignations and Clark announced his resignation.
Clark reportedly stepped down from the board since his wife Kasey Clark was one of the elementary teachers hired Monday night.
New elementary teachers hired during the meeting include Stacia Peterson, Tabbitha Tannehill, Kasey Clark and Ashley Conley.
High School teachers hired are Jimmy Harris, the new baseball coach and Mandy Jones, a math instructor.
Athletic Director Jason Reece said Harris has been the Stillwater High School baseball coach the past 10 years. School Supt. Will Jones noted that Harris has coached teams to four state titles, one at Stillwater and three in Arkansas.
Harris replaces Head Baseball Coach Eddie Jeffcoat, whose resignation was accepted Monday night. Jeffcoat said during a recent phone interview he has taken the head coaching position at Silo, the community where he grew up and played baseball.
While serving as head coach at Dale, his teams captured two state championships.
The other resignation accepted during the meeting was from Ben Parker.
Board members also rehired the support staff for 2023-2024 in a capacity to be determined by the administration.
They voted to approve the property and casualty insurance for 2023-2024 and then agreed to use Pottawatomie County Education funds to pay the plant and liability insurance for Fiscal Year 2024.
Jones informed the board members the premium has increased $75,000 over last year, making it $225,000 total. Greene pointed out the premium has increased 100 percent over the last three years.
Board members also voted to use the county education funds to pay for utilities and fuel for FY 24.
Jones advised the board the district will receive about $766,000 in new money that includes the Red Bud Fund. He said that will help pay for teacher raises and other expenses.
The new money is the district’s share of the education package the State Legislature just passed in the recently completed session.
“It’s great for education, it’s great for us,” Jones believes.
Jones also provided board members with revenue comparisons between May of this year and May of 2022.
As of May of 2023, warrants have totaled $4,905,865 and as of May of 2022 the figure was $4,770,861 which is $135,004 more than a year ago.
He said the building fund cash balance in May of this year stood at $181,466. In May of 2022, it totaled $108,599 which is up $72,867.
Jones pointed to the district’s General Fund cash balance in May of this year which was $963,885 and in May of 2022 it totaled $1,005,754. That is a decline of $41,869 over the same month in 2022.
State aid received as of May this year was $2,778,101. In May of 2022 it was $2,720,641. That amount is $57,460 more than in May of a year ago.
The County Education sales tax balance was $585,986 in May of 2023 and in May of 2022 it stood at $469,977 an increase of $116,009. Jones pointed out May’s county sales tax check was $28,247.
He advised the board 2022-2023 Esser III funds are $452,834. He told the board, “that money must be spent by the fall of 2024.”