The good news is property values for Kingfisher Public Schools continues to climb.

Unfortunately, that also plays a major role in the district’s insurance premium.

Kingfisher Board of Education members voted last Monday to renew the district’s insurance coverage with Oklahoma Schools Insurance Group.

The premium for 2024-25 will be $617,820, which is a 10 percent increase over the previous year.

“Right now OSIG is the only game in town,” Superintendent David Glover told the board. “I wish there was an alternative, but right now there’s not.”

At one time, Kingfisher was insured by Oklahoma Schools Risk Management Trust. Former Kingfisher Superintendent Jason Sternberger was a member of its board of trustees, but the company folded in 2021.

KPS board members voted in June 2021 to switch back to OSIG. The premium for 2021-22 was $270,537 and has consistently increased.

“I know these guys on the OSIG board. The insurance companies going into OSIG raise the rates so they have to raise the rates,” Glover said. “They’re fighting for us but right now it’s an uphill battle with insurance rates.”

Pat Cheap of Cheap Brothers Insurance in Kingfisher is the local agent for OSIG.

He noted the property values for KPS in 2022 were $98,492,233. That increased to $115,459,339, a jump of nearly $17 million in one year.

They increased to $120,996,101 this year.

“That’s the biggest factor in the premiums increasing,” Cheap told the Times & Free Press.

Property values continue to increase, Cheap said, to keep up with rising building costs. It now costs about $300 per square foot to build a structure on a school property.

The deductible with OSIG has risen as well. At one time it was $10,000, but it’s now $50,000 with the newest policy.

Cheap presented a policy to Glover, who then presented it to the board on Monday that would offer a lower deductible on some of the school’s property.

That list included things such as mowers, tractors and maintenance vehicles, Glover told the board.

The deductible for that policy would be $10,000 with a premium just under $5,000.

Board members opted to wait until the June 24 meeting before making a decision on that potential policy, but did move forward with renewing with OSIG.

After about a 41-minute executive session, the board took Glover’s recommendation to hire Sydnee Gerken has a fifth grade English/ language arts teacher, Daphni Jennings as the new cheer coach and Nikki Boling as a paraprofessional.

Hired for summer employment were T.J. Harris for driver’s education, Timothy Winans and Keaton Callins as maintenance and Claudia Carranza, Claudia Green and Lissetthe DeLa-Torre as custodians.

Board members also approved a long list of support staff for the 2024-25 school year.

That included Lidia Almaraz, Eugenia Altizer, Ausha Baker, Julie Barton, Clifford Benson (parttime), Niki Black, Mary Bonilla, Rita Buckner, Keaton Callins, Jillian Clayton, Michael Clayton, Lori Cleveland, Justin Conner, Michelle Conner, Tiffany Crawford, Karolina Davila, Lissetthe DeLaTorre, Maria DeLaTorre, Lorie Denton, Skye Dhonde, Rita Diaz Florez, Anna Drendel, Sandra Esparza, Bailey Farrow, Kim Fisher and Teresa Fletcher.

Also, Dena Garcia, Savannah Gilley, Gracie Gilliland, Gabriela Gutierrez, Maria Gutierrez, Shondra Hoffman, Cris James Holmes, Tammie Homier, Teri Hopkins, Lindsey Imes, Phil Ivanoff, Brenda Jimenez, Jackie Jones, Kejuan Joseph, Jennifer Kirtley, Kara Kraus, Erica Long, Monica Loper, Maricza Lopez, Melba McLain, Candance Meier, Santiago Mejia, Anna Meraz, Deborah Morse, Jennifer Moyer and Kristina Murphey (part-time).

And, Anita Orozco, Carmen Ortega, Michelle Overton, Laura Padilla, Yolanda Padilla, Tracie Pipkin, Clairanda Porter, Heath Price, Lacinda Redwine, Libby Rother, Gary Sewell (part-time), Jordan Smith, Myfawnwy Stephenson, Kara Tripp, Pearl Underhill, Shaunyel Vasquez, Ashley Waeger, Shelly Watkins, Irene Whitehead, Chris Wilfong, Melody Wilfong, Bobby Wilkinson, Lisa Williams and Jim Wilson (part-time).

Two resignations were made known to the board: Hannah Wittrock as a high school math teacher and Chance Knapp, who was in the maintenance department.

The renewal of a lease-purchase agreement with F&M Bank of Edmond was approved.

The district entered the five-year, $2 million agreement last year for the installation of synthetic turf at the football/soccer field as well as the north softball field.

The board approved a number of fundraiser requests for 2024-25 as well as multiple annual agreements, which included:

• Chatter Matters LLC and Speak Life SLP Services LLP for speech services;

• Vicky Stone for physical therapy services;

• Precision Testing Laboratories for asbestos testing; and

• Teel Oswald, school psychologist.

[ Ed. note: For more on the June 3 meeting, see also the Wednesday, June 5, edition of the Times & Free Press.]