For the first time in a decade, Carly Franks was not a member of the Kingfisher Board of Education.

Franks served on the board for the last time during the March meeting and her seat was filled at Monday’s April regular meeting by Bill Reitz.

Reitz, who was the lone person to file for the seat when it came open earlier this year, read and signed his oath of office at the start of Monday’s meeting.

The board also reorganized and Mike Copeland was voted in as the new president.

Copeland takes the place of Charles Walker, who made the motion to seat his successor.

It was approved unanimously.

Outside of Reitz, Copeland is the newest board member.

He was appointed to the board by the other members during a February special meeting to fill an unexpired term.

The seat was left vacant when Terry Payne resigned his position after moving out of the district.

This is the final year of that seat.

Dana Golbek was voted vice president at Monday’s meeting and Reitz will serve as the clerk.

The board also made a number of personnel moves after the executive session, which was part of a meeting that lasted just under three hours overall.

Among the resignations accepted was that of Rita Buckner, who is retiring after 20 years with the school district.

Currently a secretary at Kingfisher Junior High, Buckner has held several roles with KPS, including a teacher’s aide at Gilmour and a lunchroom cashier.

“Working at Kingfisher Junior High and within the district has been an incredibly rewarding experience,” she wrote in her resignation letter. “I have cherished the relationships built with students, colleagues and staff over the years and will greatly miss being a part of this community. However, I am looking forward to the next chapter of my life where I can enjoy more time with my family and embrace retirement.”

The board also accepted the resignation of Katy Buckner, a fifth grade science teacher, who is coincidentally Rita Buckner’s daughter-in-law and recently had a child.

She said she was stepping away effective at the end of the school year to care for her child.

“I look forward to the day that I potentially step back into the classroom,” she said. I am thankful for my time as a Kingfisher Yellowjacket - this is not a goodbye, but rather a ‘see ya later.’” Resignations were also accepted from Myfawnwy Roberts, a paraprofessional at Yellowjacket Academy, and Irene Whitehead, a para at KHS.

On Evans’ recommendation, the board voted to open the position for a fifth grade teacher as well as an instructional coach for the Read to Rise program, which will be instituted later this year after the district received a grant.

The board also unanimously approved a number of hires for the 2025-26 school year, which included career and non-career teachers, certified and non-certified teachers as well as support staff.

Rehired were: Certified career teachers – Barbara Baker, Amy Barnett, Tracy Baustert, Stephanie Bieren, Bridget Birdwell, Dylan Blundell, Misty Blundell, Stan Blundell, Jordan Booth, Rhonda Bromlow, Kara Brueggen, Nicole Buck, Riley Dacus, Micah Daugherty, Davin DeVilbiss, Katelyn Dissinger, Tammy Duncan, Aniessa Edsall Perez, Janie Erwin, Jacob Farrell, Stephanie Farrell, Morgan Fialkowski, Morgan Finley, Lili Giles, Jarren Graham, Teresa Greco, Laurie Hagar, Melissa Hardison, Stephanie Harper, Becky Hart, Whitney Hauser, Micah Hensley, Makylah Henton, Janet Hood, Mandy Horn, Rachel Ince, Samantha Ingram, Maria Jimenez, Kurt Kaya, Coni Kitchens, Lara Kostka, Lacey Kuehn, Melody Kuehn, Mallory Kusik, Jenny Laudwig, Paula Leffingwell, Jannason Long, Meggan Lunsford, Diann Magnus, Lana Miller, Kara Mueggenborg, Kinsey Mueggenborg, Lainey Mueggenborg, Jill Myers, Sabrina Nault, Mandy Owens, Derek Patterson, Amy Pearson, Carina Ponce, Lesley Redwine, Mark Redwine, Sheila Redwine, Teneille Rother, Melinda Rowan, Kris Schaefer, Morgan Shuman, Michelle Simon, Melissa Slezickey, Steffanie Stephenson, Tracy Stephenson, Kenneth Thompson, Kayla Voth, Liz Walter, Isaac Waltman, Jordan Waltman, Terry Willis, Steven Wilson Timmy Winans, Heather Wittrock, Libby Wood, Kaytlyn Woods, Shasta Yost, Nakomis Young and Taylor Young.

Certified non-career teachers – Connor Brooks, Morgan Dutton, Miranda Guthrie, Sierra Harney, Becki Richards, Jan Swart, Stacy Themer, Melissa Warren, Stefanie Wolf, Libby Rother (part-time nurse), Ashley Waeger (part-time nurse).

Certified temporary contract teachers – Bob Barnett (part-time), Lynn Barnett (part-time), Tiffany Blundell, Cortney Deterding, Jill Farrell, Sydnee Gifford, McKenna Gilles, Kayla Meyer, Haley Mitchel, Carma Reagan, Reagan Roof, Stefan Seifried, Deana Silk, Jessica Stewart.

Certified retired teachers – Doug Jech, A.J. Johnson.

Non-certified instructional staff – Jeff Myers, Keaton Callins, Tyler Gradert.

According to the agenda item, the contracts of those rehired “shall include a step raise on the Kingfisher Board of Education Salary Scale, all benefits previously agreed to by the Board and access to a Cafeteria Plan for pre-tax deduction. All contracts are with Kingfi sher Public Schools and assignments are based on district needs.”

Tabled were moves to hire non-certified support staff as well as potential adjustments to contracts for principals and counselors. Those adjustments are to move them from 12-month to 11-month contracts, said Evans, but he told the KT&FP that he wanted to further discuss potential changes with the personnel before making his final recommendation to the board.

The items tabled are expected to be addressed at May’s meeting, Evans said.