Nearly 200 people attended Monday night’s meeting of the Kingfisher Board of Education and five community members addressed the board during public participation.

The topic for all five was the board’s decision to settle the civil lawsuit against the school district and four coaches for $5 million.

A large portion of that $3.75 million plus interest - is set to be paid through the district’s sinking fund over the next three years, meaning an estimated 12 percent hike in property taxes for those within the school district’s boundaries during that time period.

A majority of those who spoke asked or insisted the board not pass the burden on to taxpayers. (Editor’s Note: See related story on Page 1.)

They asked the board, instead, to fi nd ways to pay for it from the school’s funds.

In discussing the agenda item to approve the settlement terms, board member Brad Wittrock addressed why the board cannot currently commit to paying the entirety of the settlement from district funds, but also offered a nugget of hope that it will attempt to do so in the future.

“Even if we did cash out our CDs, there’s not money in the general fund to pay this, so that’s not an option,” Wittrock said.

Financials provided to the Times & Free Press showed the district with a general fund balance of just over $4.1 million at the end of November, a number that includes $2.16 million in CDs.

Wittrock said fellow board members and Superintendent David Glover researched ways to pay off the settlement before it reaches taxpayers.

The county treasurer sends property tax bills to taxpayers each November.

Wittrock said one potential way to alleviate the burden on taxpayers is for the district to pay into the sinking fund each year before that $1.25 million plus tax would hit the tax rolls.

“If we can, if the school is able and has the money, we can go to the treasurer’s offi ce each year and make this payment before the taxes are sent to the community,” Wittrock said. “The issue is that we are going to try to handle this burden and just because any vote may happen today doesn’t mean it’s over because you have a board…that is committed to trying to handle these payments on our own before those bills are sent to you.

“I’m not making a promise. I’m just telling you that is the goal of what we’re trying to do.”

Heath Dobrovolny, chairman of the Kingfisher Board of County Commissioners, said the county is still researching that as a possibility.

“The county is researching the legality of the school potentially attempting to pay the annual portion of the settlement in November 2024,” Dobrovolny told the Times & Free Press.

“There are several questions that arise as it relates to the sinking fund and tax collection for the payment of debts.”