All current Kingfisher Public Schools principals were rehired for the 2026-27 school year and the board of education got the ball rolling to hire another.

Board members on Monday night voted unanimously to open the position of high school principal for the next school year.

The move was made after about 90 minutes in executive session at the February regular meeting and was part of numerous personnel votes by board members.

The district has been without a full-time high school principal since December 2024 when John Harris was part of a reduction in force.

Harris was hired previous to the 2022-23 school year for that role.

Since the RIF, Chris Farris has served as the principal for both the junior high and high school while Colby Connel remained as the assistant high school principal.

“I really want to tell Mr. Farris ‘thank you’ because he’s really helped us through his position over the past year and a half and he has done an excellent job,” said Superintendent Andy Evans in making the recommendation.

“But we really need to go with a principal within that building. The high school teachers that I’ve visited with have indicated - and the junior high teachers that I’ve been visiting with as well - would like to have a principal in their building.”

Evans reiterated to the KT&FP afterwards that the efforts of many helped the district through a tough time after the RIF.

“Mr. Farris and Mr. Connel stepped in and helped us immensely after the RIF. I’m very appreciative of their efforts over the past year and a half that I have had the opportunity to work with them,” Evans said. “I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention the efforts of (counselors) Paula Leffingwell, Tracy Baustert and Melissa Slezickey.”

But, as Evans noted during the meeting, talks with staff let him know an addition needed to be made.

My discussions with them kept pointing back to us needing a full time principal at the High School, and when I visited with the teachers one on one that was the continual was “woefully behind” in

consensus,” he said. “We need to get both schools back to having a full-time principal.”

Voting for the move were board members Brad Wittrock, Bill Reitz, Mike Copeland, Charles Walker and Dana Golbek.

That came after the board voted to rehire Farris as the KJH principal and Connel as the KHS assistant principal for next year.

Also approved were Makylah Tollefson, Gilmour principal; Lisa Meier, Heritage principal; Miranda Shelton, KUE principal; Melissa Slezickey, KJH assistant principal; and Haley Mitchel, instructional coach.

Also approved was the employment of the district office staff for 2026-27 as well as changes in their duties that became effective Tuesday.

Those are:

• Dawn Tollefson - encumbrance clerk, deputy board minutes clerk, deputy treasurer, deputy activity fund clerk, deputy HR/personnel clerk;

• Pam Werner - treasurer, activity fund clerk, child nutrition account custodian, board minutes clerk; and,

• Heather Mercer - payroll and insurance coordinator, HR/personnel clerk, deputy encumbrance clerk, deputy child nutrition custodian.

Upon Evans’ recommendation, the board voted to open multiple positions for next year: three special education teachers, a band assistant, a high school science teacher and an instructional coach.

Evans said the district its special ed staff.

“We need more,” he told board members.

KPS had an assistant band instructor working with Mandy Owens, but that position also felt the wrath of the RIF in 2024.

Evans said it’s time to fill that void again to relieve some workload off Owens.

The instructional coach will be paid for through a recent grant, Evans said.

The board did fill two positions.

Cierra Swallow was hired as the new secretary at KHS and Hayli Cross will serve at the Little Stingers Daycare.