A busy agenda saw the Kingfisher Board of Education conclude about a three-hour meeting with a slew of personnel moves Monday night.

Some of the moves were transfers within the district, new titles, new hires and resignations as the board held its May regular meeting.

Among the resignations were those of elementary music teacher Teresa Greco, first grade teacher McKenna Gilles and special education teacher Courtney Deterding.

Greco has been with the district the last eight years and is taking a position at a larger district in Edmond.

However, she said, she’ll still be visible in Kingfisher.

“The incredible experiences I’ve had here are too numerous to count and are memories that I will always treasure,” she wrote in her resignation letter. “This is my home and I consider my KPS colleagues as family.

“I am accepting a position in a larger district, but I do not plan to move. My son will remain a student in the district and I plan to remain involved in our community. This new opportunity for me leads to the next chapter in my professional career, but I am eternally grateful for the time I’ve spent at KPS.”

Board members voted to accept those resignations as well as open the positions for an elementary music teacher and a teacher at Gilmour.

Voting in favor were Mike Copeland, Brad Wittrock, Dana Golbek and Bill Reitz.

Board member Charles Walker was unable to attend the meeting.

Haley Mitchel was reassigned to an instructional coach and will be a key component in the Rise to Read program being instituted in the district through a recent grant award.

Mitchel is currently in her first year with KPS and is a seventh grade English teacher.

Evans said Mitchel will maintain her basketball coaching duties.

Mitchel was joined by Sheila Redwine and Leslie Redwine at Monday’s meeting in making a presentation to the board about the grant and its implementation.

The four-year grant was expected to bring about $640,000 to the district, but Evans said only 20 of the 26 grants available were awarded.

That could mean KPS will receive additional funding and Evans told the KT&FP the district will be receiving several additional learning tools as well.

“Our goal is to improve our literacy and fluency in all grades,” Evans said. “This grant is bringing a lot of resources to the district.”

Gilmour teacher Jarren Graham is moving into special education at her request, ag instructor/FFA Advisor Tyler Gradert will have his status changed from non-certified to certifi ed personnel and KHS Spanish teacher Carina Ponce will move to a halfday next year.

The special education department got an additional boost with new hires.

Ryan Brock was approved on Evans’ recommendation.

Brock has been the special education chair and teacher at Northwest Classen High School since 2021 and also has special education teaching experience at Bethany and Putnam City Public Schools dating back nearly a decade.

Evans said Brock will work directly with Lisa Meier, the special education director and Heritage principal, “to continue to improve our special education.”

Also hired for the special education department was Jacque (Dean) Komers, who has been teaching in Waukomis since 2022.

“She has a real passion for helping students who need a different learning environment and establishing a strong connection with the students,” Evans said.

Christopher Steed was approved to teach social studies either at the high school or junior high.

He’ll also having junior high baseball and softball coaching duties.

Steed has taught different levels of history in the Putnam City, Western Heights and Piedmont districts.

Caitlin O’Hara was approved as a high school English teacher, filling a void left when Leslie Click resigned earlier this year.

O’Hara will also help in the boys’ basketball program.

She has been in the Guthrie school system since 2023 and currently teaches high school English there.

She’s also had experience as a writing teacher and has assisted in the Guthrie girls basketball program.

The board approved an extended leave of absence for Gilmour pre-k teacher Carla Marshall, without pay, for medical reasons.

Beyond personnel moves, board members approved temporary appropriations for the 2025-26 school year during the meeting.

The appropriations application is annually prepared by the district’s auditor Britton, Kuykendall & Miller CPAs of Weatherford.

Temporary appropriations are required for any warrants expected to be issued the next fiscal year prior to the board approving the 2025-26 estimate of needs.

Approved were appropriations of just under $14.6 million in the general fund, down about $7 million from last year.

Also approved were $1.23 million in the building fund, $478,074 in the child nutrition fund and $264,350 in the cooperative fund.

The district is now required to file the application for the appropriations with the Kingfisher County Excise Board.

Superintendent Andy Evans had previously updated board members on the school budget, as he does at every meeting.

“Our models are all coming into alignment,” said Evans as the fiscal year’s end draws nearer.

Evans told the Times & Free Press that the district is looking at spending about $15.2 million by the end of the fiscal year. Had cuts not been made - specifically the reduction in force in December - the figure would be closer to $18 million.

The goal, said Evans, was to have the number at about $14.52 million.

However, he added, HVAC and electrical issues - most notably at Heritage Elementary - as well as paying for materials for the Gilmour Elementary remodel project pushed the spending upwards by about $800,000.

Evans also noted the district’s carryover will be less than last year, but factors beyond the district’s control will play a large role in determining the amount.

“The amount is going to be dependent on when we get claimed money back from the State Department of Education,” he said.

If the district doesn’t receive the money before June 30, it won’t be reflected in the carryover.

“We will receive the money,” he said. “But it won’t show on our balance forward line.

“Our budget is recovering and we have to hold the line.”