A house in the area of the Hennessey Public Schools’ parking lot on Walnut Street may become available soon, Superintendent Jason Sternberger told Hennessey school board members during their meeting Monday, April 10.

He’ll continue pursuing the possible purchase, he told board members during his monthly report at the noon meeting.

Money, money, money

Sternberger said the school is in good shape financially and has $1.3 million in the building fund, “and we have general fund money.”

Gross production tax money “is better than we thought it would be,” he added after reporting on summer projects.

Also, the school is scheduled to sell $1.215 million in building bonds in a special meeting at noon Monday, May 15, in the conference room at the Eagle Event Center.

The board’s next regular meeting is 7 p.m. Monday, May 8, at the Seminar Room in the HPS Auditorium.

Report Summer/Other Projects

Drainage – The bid opening on the Mitchell Road drainage project will be Monday, April 24, Sternberger said. This first phase of the project is in front of the school’s campus on the west side of Mitchell Road to add more parking for the classroom buildings and sports facilities on the east side of Mitchell Road. The board will have a special meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, to “possibly” award those contracts.

Other Parking Projects – He said an estimate is $1-$1.2 million for parking at the baseball/football fields and paving the gravel areas on the west side of the football stadium up to Mitchell then south to the fieldhouse parking.

Transportation Building – No quote yet to remodel, but said it would be best to get parking issues finished first so the buses and other equipment could be moved to the new bus barn on State Highway 51.

District Conversion to LED – An estimated cost is $200,000 but “waiting on final numbers” and amount OG&E will reimburse.

Buses – During the report David Tillman, board member, asked if the school’s two new buses were in. Sternberger said they are and they’re going to get two Suburbans (one to add and the other for maintenance).

Personnel

Again this year the board approved $1,500 stipends for certified and $750 for non-certified staff.

A $3,000 stipend was also approved for Administrative Office Manager Timberly Jech for completing a federal programs desk audit.

Sternberger commended Jech for “picking up the slack for someone unable to finish the contract.”

Resumes of these five teachers hired this month were in the May 10 edition: Brian Richardson, high school teacher/girls basketball coach; Jennifer Richardson, middle school language arts; Kris Piersall, middle school art; Amy Lorenz, high school language arts, and Kelsey Bennett, elementary teacher.

Board’s Annual Reorganization

The board had a smooth, and almost unchanged, yearly reorganization of the board.

Continuing as president is Luke Lough and Patrick Griffin as vice president.

The only change is that Dr. James Matthew Matousek will take over the clerk’s job from Tillman and Amy Charmasson continues in the new seat. She was appointed to the board in February and took office in March, replacing Cristopher Choate, who resigned.