Kingfisher Public Schools recently hired Sarah Keeth as the new cheer-leading coach.

She was unanimously approved by the board of education at last Monday’s meeting.

Keeth will be taking over as coach after Tiffanie Barnett’s resignation last month.

“Sarah contacted the school in February asking about an assistant position, but nothing was available at the time,” said Barnett. “As soon as the application for my position opened up I sent it to Sarah.”

“It was definitely God’s timing,” said Keeth, who is originally from Los Angeles, Calif., and is a longtime cheerleader.

“I have been cheering since I was in elementary school,” she said.

In California, Keeth cheered at Santa Monica High as well as on several all-star teams.

Keeth also cheered collegiately at Boise State University.

In addition to the coaching job, Keeth also works at Red Rock Behavioral Health Services in Yukon as a prevention coordinator funded under the Department of Mental Health.

This will be Keeth’s first time in a coaching position as well as her first year in Kingfisher, but will have Barnett nearby to help with the transition.

“With Tiffanie having a senior daughter on the team this year she is going to still be around a lot and can help out, which I love,” said Keeth. “It is such a blessing that Tiffanie has created a strong program and will be able to show me the ropes.”

The team recently had its first practice with Keeth after its return from Jeff and Craig Camp held earlier this month.

Keeth already has many goals for the team to accomplish in the upcoming year.

“I want to build a strong family community on the team and implement skills that the girls can use, not only in cheer, but in all aspects of life,” she said. “My main goal is that the team gets better each day.”

The team has began practicing at 5:45 a.m. four times per week.

Keeth will also be coaching the team in tumbling to prepare for the state OSSAA competition and the OSSAA Gameday competition.

“I have already started conditioning to get them in shape for tumbling and stunting,” Keeth said.

Keeth added that she wants the team to be out in the community working with local partners.

Kingfisher cheer will soon have a new building that will be shared with softball.

Construction on the $2 million facility located east of the high school softball field is in the beginning stages.

Both Barnett and Keeth expressed the improvement they hope to see in the team as a result of having a consistent place to practice.

The building is set to be finished by November.

Also during Monday’s meeting, board members approved:

• Fifteen annual fund-raiser requests by various groups for the 2019-20 school year;

• Agreements with Mercy Hospital Kingfisher for physical and speech therapy services; the Organization of Rural Oklahoma Schools for membership renewal; Oklahoma School Assurance Group for workers’ compensation insurance; Oklahoma State School Boards Association for policy services and membership agreement; and Precision Testing Laboratories for asbestos inspection.

• Being the lead fiscal agent for the Title III consortium of schools that also includes Watonga, Geary, Dover, Bethany, Lomega, Canton and Ringwood;

• Supplemental appropriations for the co-op fund totaling $234,541.20.

• Declaring dozens of books as surplus.

• Out-of-state trips for FFA to Manhattan, Kan., (June 14-16) and Lubbock, Texas (Jun 27-29).

• Resignations from Jane Burchett, Haeleigh Jimenez (teacher’s assistant) and Doug Jech (sixth grade social studies and junior high football coach).

(Ed. note: Managing Editor Michael Swisher contributed to this report. Other action by the board was reported in the Wednesday, June 5, 2019, edition.)