An estimate of needs totaling just over $19.1 million in the general fund for the 2021-22 fiscal year was approved last Tuesday by Kingfisher’s board of education.

The estimate of needs is part of the budget-creating process and each school district is required to create the itemized estimate of proposed expenditures and revenues for the year.

Kingfisher’s is prepared annually by Britton, Kuykendall & Miller CPAs, a firm out of Weatherford, and was approved by the Kingfisher County Excise Board.

The board passed the estimate of needs during its regular September meeting held at the KHS cafeteria.

The estimate also included $1.9 million for the building fund, nearly $262,000 for the co-op fund and nearly $574,000 for the child nutrition fund.

(Ed. note: A more detailed copy of the estimate of needs was printed in the Sunday, Sept. 12, edition.)

After a 35-minute executive session, seven new hires were approved.

They included: Makayla Epps, Gilmour paraprofessional; Brittany Phillips, Gilmour teacher assistant; Lidia Almaraz, Gilmour teacher assistant and cashier; Mallori Pool, Heritage paraprofessional; Keaton Callins, KMS adjunct eighth grade history teacher and coach; Mcfawnwy Stephenson, KHS paraprofessional; and Brenda Jimenez, part-time KHS secretary.

Resignations were accepted from Karolina Davila, Josie Henry, Tiffany Moody and Brianna Stitt.

Board members unanimously approved the District Alternative Education Plan.

The move is required each year by the Oklahoma State Department of Education and the district’s new alternative education director, Libby Wood, went over parts of the plan with board members prior to the vote.

The board must also be presented each year with the annual dropout and remediation reports prepared by the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability.

KHS Principal Jay Wood made that presentation to the board.

The board also approved an item declaring a number of technology items as surplus, one updating board policy on professional development certification reimbursement, two out-of-state trips for FFA students and a fundraiser for the girls basketball program.

Annual contracts were approved with Amanda Upchurch for speech pathology services; Carrie Edwards to provide high school choir accompanist services; Cornerstone Counseling & Consulting Inc. for counseling and billing; 5B Bar Enterprises LLC for bus driver queries; and the OSDE and Public Consulting Group for Medicaid Billing.

Board members also approved an agreement with Michael Swisher Media LLC to live stream district events.

The state legislature approved a bill last session stating a school district cannot deny a visiting broadcast access to live stream sporting events provided that group has an agreement with its own board of education, which prompted the move at Tuesday’s meeting.