Hennessey Public Schools received one bid on the parking lot paving, but no bids on the dirt work for the drainage ditch project on the east side of the campus.

Hennessey Superintendent Jason Sternberger delivered that news to board members at their meeting last Monday.

He was told no one bid on the dirt work because of the existing water line that runs on that side of Mitchell Road and “of course” the district can’t go forward without that cost, he said.

Sternberger said the district needs to work with the town about moving that line and possibly help with those costs.

“Is that a six-inch water line?” asked board President Luke Lough.

“More than likely,” said clerk and board member Dr. James M. Matousek.

All other board members were present: Vice President Patrick Griffin, David Tillman and Amy Charmasson.

The work was planned to start in June on the $850,000 project, the school’s Enid engineer, Scott Holtzen, told the board in earlier meetings.

It takes several weeks to advertise for bids before they are opened and Sternberger said they could work directly with a company without taking bids if they lease-purchase the work.

The project is to add more parking and improve the parking lot east of the elementary school.

The plan is to go from 33 parking spaces to 85 with angle parking where there are now ditches.

It would add concrete paving over the storm sewer for angle parking east of the middle, elementary and early child development buildings that face Mitchell Road.

Bond Sale is Monday

In his monthly report, Sternberger also reminded members 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.

He also said that plans are under way for summer school programs for the middle and elementary schools and he had no resignations to report, but did say long-time fourth grade teacher Debbie Choate is retiring.

Hirings

After a 10-minute executive session to discuss employment of certified personnel for the 2023-24 school year, members approved the following on the recommendation of the superintendent:

Middle School Counselor – Lindsey R. Jones has been the middle school secretary since 2018. She graduated from HHS in 2002 and earned a bachelor’s in business administration from Northwestern Oklahoma State University in 2009. She was office manager at Farmers Electric, 2013-18; independent grant writing contractor for Waukomis Public Schools 2015-16; fiscal assistant/ grant writing, NWOSU, 2007-10; child care/pre-school teacher part-time while in college, Kinder Connection, Enid, 2002-05.

High School Science/Girls Basketball Coach – Shelby Black of Red Rock will earn her bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University this month in university studies and a minor in secondary education. She received an associate’s in science and health, physical education and recreation from Northern Oklahoma College in 2021 at Enid. From May-August 2022 she was a summer law intern at Pipestem Law Firm, was a summer youth coordinator for the Otoe Missouria Tribe June-August 2021. She was a volunteer coach at Frontier High School the fall of 2018 and at Stillwater High School the fall of 2020 and spring of 2021. In basketball at NOC, she was on the all-region second team and all-tournament team in 2019; a region conference tournament finalist in fall 2020 and spring 2021 and conference tournament finalist, fall 2021.

Middle School Secretary – Alejandra Calderon has been a paraprofessional aide at the middle school for the past two years.

Summer Support Staff – Cooks Basillia Holguin, Veronica Roman and Patty Shaw at their regular hour rate; custodian helper: Tayler Franklin at $8.50 an hour.

Extra Duty stipend of $750 for James Faulkner for coaching e-sports in spring 2023. He is the brother of HHS Principal Josh Faulkner.

The only ones in the audience at the May meeting were Principals Ricardo Tarango (middle school) and Barry Crosswhite (elementary).