Meeker Board of Education members this week rehired four administrators and also approved converting the district’s school buses to CNG.
Following an executive session, they returned to open meeting and voted to offer contracts for the 2024-2025 school year to High School Principal Brad Buxton, Middle School Principal Matt Jones, Elementary Principal Sarah Flowers and Athletic Director Brad Seaborn.
Board members accepted the resignation of Kristina Cushenbery, elementary Aide. They approved hiring Anya Harness, adjunct teacher–Elementary Education.
School Supt. Jeff Pruitt recommended converting the district’s school buses to CNG. “There is no cost to the district to do this,” he explained, Pruitt pointed to some other school districts doing it already, among them Cushing, Prague and some in McClain County. “OU and OSU have their transportation buses on it,” he noted.
Pruitt said should a bus run out of CNG, it automatically reverts back to either gasoline or diesel. “It defaults back to the fuel source, and it’s a cost saving measure,” he added.
With that explanation, the board voted in favor of converting the buses to CNG.
Board members also heard the annual audit presentation from Bledsoe, Hewett and Gullekson. It covered the 2022-2023 school year.
They approved the 2023-2024 audit engagement letter with the same audit firm.
The high school leadership class made a short presentation to the board informing them of some of projects they are undertaking this year.
In their reports, Buxton pointed to the number of activities the high school is involved with and said the juniors have been doing prep work each week for the ACT test which will be given on April 9.
Jones advised the board the Middle School Archery Team is in the state tournament on Thursday and that enrollment stands at 174 which includes a new student who started on Monday.
Flowers pointed out enrollment is 345 students, noting the elementary school started with 327 in August.
“We are recognizing an average of 22 students in grades Pre-K through fifth each week for reading 25 or more books and the Book Fair is open for business until Feb. 21,” Flowers said.