The Duncan Banner

Education

July 12, 2012

Duncan school board approves hiring employees

Derrick Miller The Duncan Banner

DUNCAN — People may notice a few new faces in Duncan schools when the school year begins in August.

The Duncan Board of Education spent nearly 1 1/2 hours in an executive session Tuesday to discuss hiring people for open positions across the school district. Following the executive session, the board approved hiring those individuals and employees.

Several names were already listed on the agenda for hire by the school board. Those employees included Rebekah Herring, special education teacher; Mandy Robbins, special education teacher; Dawn Travis, special education teacher; Jeanne Charitan, special education teacher; Christina Lang, special education teacher; Haley Hatch, special education teacher; Linda Stapp, special education teacher; Jennifer Cobble, Duncan Middle School seventh-grade math teacher; Gene Alridge, spring tennis coach; Jordan Grovenburg, licensed practical nurse; and Tiffany Wright, Plato teacher.

The agenda also contained a list of positions needing to be filled. People hired for those positions included Mike Lewis, fall and spring tennis coach; Sallie Jo Gibson, standby bus driver; Sharon Banks, Mark Twain teacher; Steve Sanders, Mark Twain music teacher; Megan Hennigan, Horace Mann teacher; Channa Byerly, DHS math teacher; Kaycee Dowell, Emerson teacher; April Rudd, special education teacher; Shonna Callaway, special education teacher; Ashley Jenkins, special education teacher; Stacy Sholl, special education teacher; Erica Macky, Woodrow Wilson teacher; Kelli Bowman, Woodrow Wilson teacher; Cameron Etheridge, contract coach through contract services for 2012-13.

Several of those hired were in attendance for the meeting, including Steve Sanders, who was hired as the Mark Twain music teacher. Sanders, who has 10 years in opera performing, is replacing Patty Jennings, who retired at the end of the 2011-12 school year.

Sanders did provide a sample of his opera voice for the school board, which prompted the board members to inquire if the other new hires wanted to demonstrate their vocal talents. All of the other hires declined.

The board members expressed appreciation for the new employees for staying through the executive session.

“Congratulations,” Board President Eric Davis said. “Welcome aboard.”

In addition to hiring the employees, the board also accepted a resignation from Kelly Jones, Duncan High School teacher.

Also approved:

- A 1,080 hour school calendar. In recent years, the Oklahoma State Department of Education has given school districts a choice between the 180 day calendar, which requires 180 days of instruction, or 1,080 hour calendar, which requires 1,080 hours of instruction.

Labyer said the 1,080 hour calendar gives the school district more freedom, especially if the district is impacted by severe weather.

- Purchases of a 2013 regular half-ton pickup truck from Suburban Chevrolet for $19,990, a 2013 extended cab full ton service truck from Suburban Chevrolet for $35,180, and a 2013 international 65 passenger bus with flat floor lift equipment and air conditioning from Roberts Bus Center for $96,060, using the general fund. The school bus will be used for students with special needs.  

- Challenge Day, a three-day program for freshmen, for $10,800. The program will be covered with a McCasland Foundation grant.

- Purchase of a baseball scoreboard from Olen Williams. The overall cost of the scoreboard is $21,200. First Bank & Trust and Patco donated $5,000 each for the scoreboard. The remaining cost will be covered by site funds.

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