Six students were waiting outside the high school counselor’s office to enroll on the third day of school so enrollment numbers keep changing, said Hennessey Public School Superintendent Dr. Mike Woods.

He blamed late enrollments because of the early school start on Aug. 8.

Late enrollments are expected to continue, but class sizes of 50 or more are offering more of a challenge, Woods told school board members at their Monday night meeting.

“Enrollment numbers are probably going to be between 850-900, about the same as the last couple of years,” he said.

41 Vo-Tech Students

He said 41 juniors and seniors have enrolled in vo-tech classes at Chisholm Trail Technology Center in Omega. Hennessey is not a member of Chisholm Trail, or any other career tech center.

CTTC agreed in January 2018 to charge Hennessey “only” $1,000 per student per semester for two years, instead of their non-member rate, said Woods.

It could cost the school upwards of $500,000 a year at non-member rates for that many students to take courses at a state tech school.

Hennessey school district voters would have to approve a millage vote in order for the school to join a vo-tech school. That would allow high school students, and others in the community, to attend at the lower member tuition fees.

Rates are almost double for non-members.

Hennessey provides bus service to and from CTTC for its students.

Kingfisher, Dover, Watonga and Lomega schools are members of the CTTC system. Memberships are supported through additional ad valorem taxes in school districts.

Sinking Fund in the Hole

Woods said the sinking fund “has a negative balance of $47,000 due to the (Red Dirt) wind turbine company’s protest over $746,000 in property taxes.”

“We’re able to deal with this right now,” he said, “but it is a big problem.”

Landowners are getting their money for leasing their land, but schools are suffering because it’s almost automatic for the companies to prolong paying their taxes by protesting, he said.

Woods said it was a better month in gross production income than he’d expected.

July was $204,185 (compared with $276,099 in July 2018) and August is $329,279 (compared with $254,614 in August 2018).

The school started the new fiscal year July 1 with $3.9 million in the general fund, according to the written financial. Income was $362,000 and warrants (estimated bills) totaled $560,000.

Facility Updates

The superintendent said work continues on the Eagle Event Center and said he did not “randomly close the road” as some people had said “but had given a two-week notice.”

“The Eagle Event Center is on schedule to open Nov. 19,” he said.

“Is that the official name now?” asked board member Luke Lough, since usually it’s referred to as “The Dome.”

Woods shrugged then went on to say that summer work included installation of bullet-proof glass at two buildings and field work at the softball field ($14,600), football field ($5,200) and baseball field ($10,340).

He didn’t mention those amounts but they are listed on the encumbrance report which also lists softball batting cage nets ($2,910); dirt for softball field ($409); softball backpacks ($1,817) and softball supplies ($570).

He talked about the installation of scoreboards at the baseball and softball fields ($10,000), and when he said new railing and steps for the baseball bleachers ($4,300), President Patrick Griffin said a new roof is needed for the bleachers. Woods said they also need to paint it.

Woods said repairs to the ag bathrooms were made ($2,200) and high school vanities and sinks ($5,774).

The report also shows lighting for the south side of the auditorium ($3,071.01) and total general fund encumbrances approved were $393,994 and the building fund, $20,350.

New Food Service

Lough asked the superintendent how the food service is working since the school changed this year to Opaa, an outside food service.

Woods said they were in a “transitional period” and it would take another day or two.

“There have been some challenges,” he said.

Vice President Dr. James Matthew Matousek said he could report about what his five daughters have said: “The sixth grader said the food is somewhat better; fourth grader, good; third grader, about the same; first grader, I really don’t eat, and the pre-Ker is still worried about flushing toilets.”

Lough said he hopes Matousek will report again next month.

Hirings

Woods said for two months they didn’t have any applicants for the elementary school counselor position, then he learned from Allen Tillman, the new minister at the Church of Christ, that his wife, Tammy, is a counselor.

Woods said the committee was impressed with her in their meeting, and he recommended her hiring, which the board approved.

Elementary counselor – Tammy Tillman has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Tulsa (1997) and a master’s degree in clinical psychology from TU (2002-04).

She was a part-time counselor at Keystone Counseling and Therapeutic Services, Cleveland (Okla.), 2015-19; part-time child trauma counselor and social worker, Cara Center, Christus Schumpert Health System, Shreveport, La., 2010-11; full-time trauma counselor, Family Sexual Abuse Treatment Program, Family and Children’s Services, Tulsa, 2004-07, and an intern counselor there, 2003-04.

The Tillmans have two school-age children.

Assistant adjunct softball-coach – Samantha Clakely was hired at a $1,300 salary with the school being reimbursed by the Softball Booster Club for that cost. Clakely has been a pitcher at OSU and is a friend of Lee Linsenmeyer, the new softball coach, said Woods.

Chorus aide – Autumn Blackburn was hired part-time (three hours a day) as a classroom aide on a temporary basis. “She is support for Beth (Berkenbile, choral director) for the play,” said the superintendent. She is Berkenbile’s daughter.

Paraprofessionals and aides in early childhood center – Madalynn Rojo, Perla Leyva, Yumiría Torres and Stacy Sturgill.

Career tech bus driver–Erin Wulffenstein who was hired last month as a custodian.

Custodian – Genoveva Viaz who replaces Wulffenstein.

Meeting Date Changes

Griffin said he recently got the junior high football schedule, which gives him a conflict with the September and October board dates.

Griffin,  who is also the announcer at football games, has a son on the team.

At his suggestion, the board approved changing those meetings from the second Monday of the month to the second Tuesday.

That now conflicts with the town board’s meeting dates after that board changed it from Mondays to Tuesdays last month at the request of media reporters so it wouldn’t conflict with school board meetings.