It must have seemed to the Watonga School Board Monday that it was down to the short rows now, with the school year coming to a close.
Middle school principal Ty Hussey said his students have completed state testing and the last accelerated reader party was set for the next day. Another 78 students were headed to the water zoo in Clinton for their incentive trip and the award ceremony is set for Thursday.
Hussey also related the baseball team had struck out at the regional tournament but had competed both days.
Summer pride is set to begin in early June, with activities Monday-Thursday most of the summer. The exception is the so called ‘dead week’ when student athletes are not allowed to train at the school. That runs June 28-July 5 and activities resume July 6.
The board also heard the dates for the summer feeding program at the schools. Those meals are breakfast and lunch beginning the first Monday in June and running Monday-Thursday for four weeks.
Although at first glance it may have sounded like there was a lot of fun and not a lot of learning going on, Superintendent Kyle Hilterbran put it into perspective.
“This is a great time to celebrate our kids. These trips and parties are great rewards,” he said, adding that the students had earned the rewards through hard work.
Hilterbran noted that the hard work would soon resume for staff. He said 20 teachers would be taking professional development training from Learning Tree, held this year in Tulsa.
Board member Dr.
Dwight McGee said his committee of former Dunbar students was almost ready to unveil its ideas for a memorial to the historically Black school. That facility was demolished last year and planning began soon after to place a memorial on the site.
The superintendent also let the board know that the bond projects had come in slightly under budget and his hopes were to install more lights, perhaps extending lighting from the entrance to the high school down to 11th Street.
He also informed the board what the budget looked like, with a revenue thus far of $8 million on an expected $11 million total. The school fiscal year runs from July 1 each year to June 30 of the next year. The expenditures are expected to total $14 million for the year coming to a close, and a carryover of roughly $ 9 million is anticipated.