Six Kingfisher Public Schools positions were filled last week for the 2022-23 school year, some by people already employed by the district.

The moves were made last Monday during the regular April meeting of the Kingfisher Board of Education.

John Harris was approved as the next high school principal (See story in Wednesday, April 6, edition).

Also hired were Lacey Kuehn as a districtwide dyslexia specialist; Lana Miller and Leslie Click as KHS special education teachers; Amanda Eaton as a KMS special education teacher; and Micah Mueggenborg as an assistant reading specialist at Gilmour.

Kuehn currently teaches first grade and joins Nikki Young in serving as a dyslexia specialist.

A bill requiring dyslexia screening for early elementary students who don’t read on grade level was signed into law in May 2020.

Kingfisher took it a step further by hiring Young as a districtwide specialist in the fall.

“We didn’t want to put an extra burden on any other teachers or principals who already have their plates full,” Craig said.

“That was really the idea of Shane Hood, Sheila Redwine and Erin Michael.”

Hood started the year as principal at Gilmour and Heritage elementary schools. He’s now principal at Heritage and the middle school.

Michael is the KHS assistant principal and Redwine is the district’s reading specialist.

Craig said Young’s caseload has been heavy, necessitating the need for another specialist.

Kuehn’s first grade position will be opened as will Mueggenborg’s current kindergarten post.

Click is currently a paraprofessional at the high school while Miller is a new hire.

The district will also be searching to fill another special education position as well as one for a second grade teacher.

Resignations were accepted from Connie Gallupe and Tammy Themer.

Gallupe has served as a special education teacher in the district for the past four years and said in her resignation letter she wants to pursue a role in administration.

Themer has taught multiple elementary grades and is currently in second grade. She has accepted a position at Dover Elementary.

Hired during the meeting for the remainder of this school year were Karli Karrenbrock as a KMS teacher assistant and cashier and Carmen Ortega as a parttime custodian at the middle school.

In other action, the board approved updates to policy regarding bids and quotations and reporting child abuse and neglect to fall in line with state law.

The policy regarding abuse and neglect now states: “Every school employee having reason to believe that a student under the age of 18 years is a victim of abuse or neglect shall report the matter immediately to the Department of Human Services and local law enforcement.”

The previous policy set forth by the state only required employees who suspected abuse to call a DHS hotline phone number which is no longer in use.

Board members also approved annual contracts with the following:

• ADPC for software license and support agreement for financial accounting software;

• Shamrock Counseling Services for mental health services;

• Oklahoma Department of Human Services for a school-based social worker.