The Watonga School Board met Monday night in regular session and one of the topics on the agenda was the rehire of its principals. Each administrator – Ashley Riley at the elementary school, Ty Hussey at the middle school and Lauren Coleman at the high school – renewed their commitment to their respective campuses for the 2024-25 school year.
Riley described for the board members how the Cal Ripkin Sr. Foundation fully funded the elementary school STEM lab. That lab deals with science, technology, engineering and math in a hands on format. Part of the funding included having staff members and trainers come to the school and assemble the tables, chairs and maker spaces. The teachers also received hands on training for the lab use.
Also at the elementary, work is nearly complete on the new cafeteria, Riley said. There was some question as to whether the district should order new tables for the new cafeteria to protect the flooring from damage from the older tables, or if the old tables should have leg pads added to protect the floor. Superintendent Kyle Hilterbran said he would seek quotes on the furniture options.
The cafeteria is awaiting inspection by the state fire marshal before it can be certified for occupancy and training for the cooking staff can be held. The inspection and training is expected to take place on Feb. 19 when the schools are closed for President’s Day.
Speaking of closed, the board also passed its calendar for the 2024-25 school year.
That calendar includes an opening day of August 8, fall break from Oct. 17-21 and Thanksgiving break from November 25-29. The dates of fall break were adjusted so that they do not coincide with the annual Cheese Festival. The first semester ends on December 20 with a virtual day.
The superintendent noted that new roofs were going on buildings, beginning at the elementary school. The roofing is to replace damage from a storm in the summer of 2023. The air conditioning units that are being replaced may require another visit from the insurance adjuster, because the replacement may cost more than was allowed in the first estimate.
Hilterbran also told the board that the gross production tax had come in for February at $266,000, well above the $175,000 estimate included in the budget.
The board agreed to beef up the contingency fund held by Joe D. Hall. The increase of $250,000 will allow the contractor to include some items that were previously eliminated from the gym construction to hold the line on cost at bidding and to make up for the cost of a sewer lift station at $166,000 that the district did not know it would have to purchase when the plans were drawn.
Those re-introduced items include an improved surface for the track in the gym, lobby windows and exterior lighting on the building. The board had previously said it would add the items back to the project when the time came if the funds were available.