On the heels of approving a large settlement agreement and vowing to make attempts to not put that burden on the taxpayers, the Kingfisher Board of Education last Monday put off distributing stipends to employees ahead of the holiday season.

Board members voted 3-2 to table the item near the end of the meeting.

“There’s been so many comments today made about our staff,” said board member Carly Franks. “We have amazing teachers, amazing staff, all of the above.

“While I truly, truly value them and want to give them a stipend, I think, from my standpoint, our focus needs to be putting the money toward the payment to the county assessor so we don’t put the burden on our taxpayers.”

She then made a motion to table the item “until a later date.”

Terry Payne seconded it and they were joined by Dana Golbek to pass the motion.

Charles Walker and Brad Wittrock voted against it.

Earlier at the meeting, the board approved a $5 million settlement agreement to be paid to Mason Mecklenburg to end his civil lawsuit against the school district and four football coaches.

The settlement agreement calls for the district to pay $1.25 million of that by Feb. 3, 2024.

The remaining $3.75 million will be paid through the district’s sinking fund over the next three years, meaning a property tax hike of an estimated 12 percent for those who live within the school district.

The settlement agreement and its terms - which included not renewing Jeff Myers’ extra-duty contract and mandatory training for all staff - led to a crowd of nearly 200 people at the meeting.

“Our teachers shouldn’t pay the price for these mistakes,” said someone from the crowd, which drew applause.

Stipends have not always been the norm, but the district has distributed them prior to the Christmas holiday each of the last five years in part to having ample funds and in part as a way to help reward and retain staff.

In a market that’s become increasingly competitive, the board has approved stipends at other points in the school year and made other efforts to attract and retain staff, including agreeing to pay employees’ retirement almost two years ago. The district also implemented state-mandated pay raises earlier this year.

Someone from the crowd also asked how much stipends would cost the district, which currently has 224 employees.

Walker, the board president, had numbers prepared.

A $500 stipend would cost the district $142,240, said Walker. A $750 stipend would total $213,360 and a $1,000 stipend would be $284,480.

Prior to that agenda item, Wittrock addressed the crowd preceding the vote on the settlement agreement, which passed 4-1 with Wittrock voting against it.

He told those in attendance that the district was seeking options to pay the debt prior to it going to taxpayers.

The first installment would be due near the end of next year.

“If we can, if the school is able and has the money, we can go to the treasurer’s offi ce each year and make this payment before the taxes are sent to the community,” Wittrock said. “The issue is that we are going to try to handle this burden and just because any vote may happen today doesn’t mean it’s over because you have a board…that is committed to trying to handle these payments on our own before those bills are sent to you.

“I’m not making a promise. I’m just telling you that is the goal of what we’re trying to do.”

The legality of such a plan is still under review, said Heath Dobrovolny, chairman of the Kingfisher Board of County Commissioners.

“The county is researching the legality of the school potentially attempting to pay the annual portion of the settlement in November 2024,” Dobrovolny told the Times & Free Press.

“There are several questions that arise as it relates to the sinking fund and tax collection for the payment of debts.”