Meeker Board of Education members here this week approved the final 20242025 Estimate of Needs and heard from a few parents about what turned out to be a rumored threat at the school last week.
School Supt. Jeff Pruitt said the 2024-2025 Estimate of Needs totals $10,223,353.62.
That compares with the totals from a year ago of $10,748,936. The 2022-2023 Estimate of Needs totaled $9,359,648.58.
The rumored school threat issue came during Citizens Comments when two or three people wanted to know about it, complaining they were not informed.
Board Vice President Bret Woods, who was chairing Monday night’s meeting, had explained prior to opening it up to Citizens Comments that there was a total of 15 minutes allowed for that portion of the meeting.
Additionally, he let those in attendance know board members could not respond to any of those comments since they didn’t deal with any agenda item.
Another woman, Allana Penisten, who regularly attends school board meetings, stood up and simply said, “I’ve lived here in Meeker in for 10 years.”
Pruitt explained following the board meeting, “There was no gun on campus, none of our students were ever in danger and it was not a credible threat.
“It was an issue between two students, but there was never a gun involved,” he reiterated.
Pruitt emphasized, “It was only a rumor.”
School officials and the school’s resource officer handled the situation, Pruitt stressed.
The board members also adopted the Annual School Election resolution. The Office No. 5 seat, currently held by Josh Elliott, will be up for election.
The filing period is Monday, Dec. 2 through Wednesday, Dec. 4.
Elliott said Monday night he would seek another term.
High School Principal Brad Buxton, in presenting the high school dropout report, said the report showed that three students in the 2022-2023 year had dropped out but there was a coding issue on one of those bringing the actual number to two.
Middle School Principal Matt Jones presented his dropout report that showed one sixth grader had dropped out in the 2022-2023 school year but that student actually transferred to another school. “We’ll be at zero when that’s corrected at the State Department of Education,” he advised the board members.
Buxton in presenting the college remediation report said in the 2022-2023 school year 18 had gone on to college that fall.
“That’s a little lower than it has been,” he noted.
“One needed remediation in science, one in English and three in math,” he said.
“We’re trying to get as many kids in concurrent enrollment with college as we can,” he told board members.
During her report, Elementary School Principal Sarah Flowers pointed to enrollment of 331, and talked about the “Big Kahuna fundraiser” that she said started two weeks ago and ends on Friday.
“If we meet our goal of $11,000 profit, the principal gets slimed,” she said.
In his report, Buxton discussed several activities scheduled and that high school enrollment stands at 240.
Jones said Middle School enrollment is at 200, a little smaller, but that he expects it to go up a little bit. He also talked about several activities.
In other business, board members: Without going into executive session, approved offering a contract for the 2024-2025 school ear to Abigail White as an Elementary School Aide.
Approved the expenditure budget by bold function codes.
Approved the Meeker Youth League to use the old elementary gyms.
Approved miscellaneous cheer uniforms as surplus.
Approved the updated High School and Middle School Morris Sudden Cardiac Arrest Plan.
Approved administering the ACT to eligible juniors in the spring of 2025.