After discussion, and a recommendation by the superintendent, the Hennessey Board of Education unanimously agreed to “go back” to charging students for meals who are not covered by free and reduced federal programs.

That vote was after members saw reports, and President Patrick Griffin noted, that the district had been taking “$60-$70,000 and $80,000 hits” to its budget for the last two years.

The federal government provided public school funding for all student meals during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. When that program ended in 2022, Hennessey continued to pay for non-free and reduced students.

However, most state schools, including other Kingfisher County schools, stopped providing free meals to all students after the program ended.

New meal costs will be determined and announced later, said Superintendent Jason Sternberger during the board’s Monday, June 10, meeting.

For the last two years 73-80% of Hennessey’s students qualified for free and reduced meals, Sternberger told board members. (Reduced meals may not cost a student more than 30 cents for breakfast and 40 cents for lunch.)

Food costs and food services have also gone up over those years, Sternberger said during discussion. Board members noted his comment during their next agenda item: accept a bid to a food service management company.

Opaa! Food Management Inc. (OPPA), the current food provider, got the contract with a fixed price cost of $3.5319 per meal.

Hennessey Hires Three More Teachers The HPS board hired a new music teacher and rehired two former teachers.

Melissa Faulkner of Hooker will be the high school/middle school music teacher.

If the Faulkner name sounds familiar, it should. Melissa Faulkner is the mother of HHS Principal Joshua Faulkner which makes her the mother-inlaw of Riley Faulkner, who resigned as HPS music teacher last month.

“We’re lucky to get her,” Sternberger said after the board’s 15-minute executive session to discuss hirings. He said Josh Faulkner is familiar with teachers in that field and had searched for a replacement for his wife, who’d resigned last month to teach in Enid.

Melissa Faulkner was most recently interim music director at Oklahoma Panhandle State University where she taught concert choir, chamber choir, concert band and conducting from October through December 2023.

She’s also taught and/ or has been a counselor at school districts in Hooker, Boise City, Elkhart, Kan., and Carnegie.

She owns a bachelor’s degree in music education from OPSU and a master’s in school counseling from Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

Returning Teachers

Teachers who worked at HPS previously and were hired for the 2024-25 school year are Kevin Hopkins of Hennessey, high school English and science, and Allyssa Knight of Okeene, elementary school.

Kevin Hopkins taught junior and high school vocal music in Hennessey from1983-85 and was assistant junior and high school band director, a photography instructor and a class sponsor.

He spent the last two years teaching a variety of subjects, including music, chemistry, STEM and supervised in-school intervention at Kingfisher.

He graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in music education and picked up a master’s degree in religion from Southern Nazarene University in 1989.

Allyssa Knight was a Hennessey elementary school teacher from 201521 where she taught second grade and kindergarten.

She was the Early Childhood Center Teacher of the Year in 2018.

She was also an after school tutor and a summer school teacher in Hennessey.

Knight taught kindergarten in the Okeene Elementary School from 2021-24. Knight started her teaching career as a substitute teacher at Okeene in 2013-14 and was a student teacher there in 2015. She was an American Reads and Counts Tutor at East Elementary in Weatherford in 2012-13.

Knight was certified in early child education in 2014, and pre-K-8 in 2015 after graduating from SWOSU that year with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education.

Others Hired

Adjunct Teachers — Current school staff were also hired as adjunct teachers for 2024-25 to teach these subjects: Chemistry, Kim Gritz; Art, Stephanie Guinn; Family and Consumer Sciences, Jennifer Richardson; Intermediate Math and Physical Education/Health, Jeneva Nelson.

Extra Duty — James Faulkner for e-sports, 202324, $750.

Speech Pathologist — Erica Beckner was hired for an extended school year (June 1-30, 2024) at $80 an hour.

Support Staff/Monitors for Walking Trail — Alondra Portillo and Analy Portilla at $8.50 an hour for 2024-25 school year and remainder of 2023-24 year.

Parking

Sternberger reported that the parking lot at the sports complex is “slightly ahead of schedule, with about 90% of the underground electric done and there will be a change order.”

Since there has been worry that the new parking area won’t be ready in time for football season, Sternberger added, “The Blue and White football game is Aug. 17 and the first game is Aug. 30.”

At the Meeting

All board members were present: Griffin, Vice President Dr. James Matthew Matousek, Clerk Luke Lough, Amy Charmasson and Dakota Semrad.

In the audience was Principal Stacey Mack (Early Childhood Center).