Hennessey Police Officer Aaron Pitts will again walk the halls of Hennessey Public Schools this fall after the school board approved a contract renewal with the town for a resource officer.

Pitts, a 2008 Hennessey High School graduate, has been with the HPD for three years. He took over the job last February when resource officer Dale Pazzo was out for surgery. Superintendent Dr.

Superintendent Dr. Mike Woods said during the board’s July 11 meeting there were several excellent applicants for that position, and Pitts had a good rapport with principals and students last year.

The school will pay the town for Pitts’ hourly wage during a regular school day and then the town will pay Pitts.

“The police department will also have other officers for games and other school events,” said Woods.

Police Chief Hank Weber told the board that another advantage to the school is that if Pitts is ill, they’ll provide a replacement. Also, when the school is closed for holidays, the district won’t have to pay for an officer.

New elementary PE teacher

Doreen A. Winn of Kingfisher was hired as the new elementary physical education teacher on a temporary contract in a 3-0 vote.

She replaces Kayla Kuehn, who resigned.

Winn’s teaching experience is in New Mexico, but she is certified in Oklahoma to teach early childhood, elementary education, elementary principal and secondary principal (grades 5-12).

Work experience: Public Academy for Performing Arts, Albuquerque, executive director, 2010-19; Fort Sumner Municipal Schools, mid-high school principal, athletic director and district test coordinator, 2008-10; Estancia Municipal Schools, middle/high principal, 2002-08; BelenConsolidated Schools, administrative intern, taught 3-5-6 grades, grades 1-6 extended day Title I, student assistance team chair, technology liaison, 1988-02, and Las Cruces Public Schools at White Sands Missile Range, taught 3rd grade, 1988.

Education: Bachelor’s in elementary education, New Mexico State University, 1988, and master’s in educational leadership, University of New Mexico, 2001. A long list of other training includes her certification as a grant writer.

Fifth and sixth grade athletics

Currently there are fifth and sixth grade boys and girls track and cross country teams and a sixth grade boys and girls basketball team, said Paul Hix, athletic director and head football coach.

Football, wrestling and baseball are outside the school, Hix said.

Woods said the school does provide helmets and shoulder pads to the fifth and sixth football players.

So, should fifth and sixth graders have athletics during the school day? Or P.E.?

Hix said it would cost about $8,800 in extra-duty pay if they had an athletics hour for sixth grade football and other sports.

“By the time they get to middle school, it’s time for them to have a real coach,” said Dr. James Matthew Matousek, board president.

Board members also discussed supporting after school-hour athletics.

“Fifth graders need to have P.E. and be playing dodge ball.”

He later said he thought sixth graders needed P.E. too, but the board took no action and left those decisions up to the administrators to decide.

Cross country is not a “traditional” P.E. class, said Hix.

Woods asked how many days track/cross country coach Cheyenne Baxter was out of class for meets.

“About 21 or 22 days,” said Angela Avila, HS-MS principal.

“What does she teach?” asked board member Patrick Griffin.

“Sixth grade science,” said Avila.

“That’s an important class,” said Griffin.

Hix said some parents want their children to “play up” such as sixth graders playing with the seventh-eighth grade teams.

“I don’t encourage that,” said Hix, “unless it’s an usually talented kid and sometimes parents think their kid is that talented.”

Board members said there are other outside school athletic programs for those age groups.

Superintendent’s report

This report was short, but Woods said that this month’s gross production income is down half of what it had been in the 2019-20 year that ended June 30.

The printed financial summary shows a $3.4 million carryover.

“We have to lose $3.2 million for Hennessey to only get half of the state formula (money),” he said.

He also reported there was a roof drainage problem into the administration offices in The Dome that was being repaired, but that’s the only leak in the building.

Other personnel matters

In addition to hiring the new P.E. teacher after their executive session, board members also voted 3-0 to:

• Re-employ Autumn Blackburn as a full-time classroom aide.

• Hire Bradi Pospisil, Jacob Schovanec and Matt Means as route bus drivers.

• Approved retention/ signing stipends of $1,500 to all certified and professional staff/directors returning for the 2020-21 school year and $750 for non-certified staff. In addition to Kuehn, Woods announced the resignations of paraprofessionals Tara Moery and Tori Roller during his report.

Present at the meeting

Board members present at the on-site meeting were: President Dr. James Matthew Matousek; Vice President Luke Lough, and Patrick Griffin.

Via Zoom was Joe Garrison.

Clerk Cristopher Choate was absent.

Lough left the meeting before the executive session to discuss personnel matters.

In addition to Woods, also at the board table were Timberly Jech, business manager and recording clerk.

Staff in the audience were Barry Crosswhite, Stacey Schovanec, Todd Cameron, Kathi Reilly, Hix, Avila and Blackburn.

Others there were Lacy Vadder, Chandra Seiger, Tony Blackburn, Weber and Pitts.