With public interest spurred, the Kingfisher Board of Education will hold its regular December meeting in the Kingfisher High School cafeteria.

The meeting is 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 4. Board members will begin the meeting at the Board of Education office, then quickly vote to reconvene at KHS.

Although the full agenda wasn’t posted by press time of this edition, one item that will be a part of it is the finalization of the settlement agreement between the district and Mason Mecklenburg.

The two parties agreed just over two weeks ago to a settlement in the civil case filed by Mecklenburg in 2021.

The terms include a $5 million payment to Mecklenburg; the implementation by the district of a mandatory training program for all staff, volunteers and board members that addresses how to identify, respond to and prevent bullying, hazing and sexual harassment and to have it administered and monitored by an approved third party; and to not renew the extra-duty contract of head football coach Jeff Myers.

Following is the agenda item related to the matter for Monday’s meeting: “Discussion, consideration and action to approve the settlement agreement and Consent Judgment that was reached in the case of Mecklenburg v. Independent School District No. 7 of Kingfisher County, et al., United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, Case No. CIV-22-89-G following the Board of Education’s vote on November 13, 2023 that authorized the District’s attorney to settle said case and, pursuant to 62 O.S. 386.5, to pay out Consent Judgment over a three-year period based on sinking fund levies made against the district tax base.”

As stated in the settlement agreement and consent judgment posted to the federal PACER court system log, and referenced in the agenda item above, the agreement will see Mecklenburg paid $1.25 million from the district’s general fund by Feb. 13.

The remaining $3.75 million plus interest will be paid in equal installments over three years from the district’s sinking fund, meaning the district’s tax base.

That fact has drawn ire from some citizens, especially via social media. Several have expressed interest in attending the board meeting and potentially addressing board members during the public participation portion of the agenda.

The board in April 2020 adopted changes to the policy regarding public comment. The original policy was put in place in October 2005. Among the highlights of the new policy:

• Requests to address the board must be made at least 15 minutes prior to the meeting as opposed to five business days;

• No public comment is allowed at special meetings, only regular meetings;

• Individual addresses to the board will be limited to three minutes and a total of 20 minutes of each meeting will be allotted for the public comment portion;

• If the public comment is regarding an item on the agenda, board members will be allowed to interact with the speaker. If the subject matter isn’t on the agenda, board members can only listen;

• Matters regarding personnel or student suspension cannot be addressed, but should instead follow the district’s chain of command or student suspension appeal policy.