X

It’s a brand new school year across Kingfisher County and the rest of Oklahoma.

With the “new” year comes its share of plenty “new” at every school in the county.

New clothes. New rides. New hairdo.

That’s for the teachers, anyway (ok, ok students too).

But there’s also a fair share of changes in all other aspects of our local school districts.

Here’s a quick glance at what’s new at your school as you begin 2021-22:

Kingfisher

Hope you like change... and it starts at the top.

Kingfisher’s new superintendent - Dr. Daniel Craig - is one of 21 teachers/ administrators/counselors coming on board this year. (Ed. note: You can read a little bit more about each of them on Pages 12-13 of this edition.)

A Kingfisher native, Craig will have a new KHS principal (Jay Wood) and assistant principal (Erin Michael).

Soon, he’ll also have a new school building.

Construction continues and is expected to wind down this fall on the seventh and eighth grade center on the south end of the APB.

Once completed, the seventh and eighth graders will migrate from the current middle school to the new facility.

That will start a chain reaction of other moves within the grades/school buildings that will likely take place over the Christmas break.

KPS has also added multiple counselors to its faculty in order to better serve its students.

On top of that, the district has hired Laci Redwine as a full-time mental health therapist.

Okarche

One change to this school year will be the implementation of breakfast offered to students and staff.

This addition will be a pilot program this school year and breakfast will be free of charge until further notice, wrote Superintendent Josh Sumrall in a letter to school patrons.

“The breakfast will consist of nutritious, easy and quick items to start the school day,” he said.

“We believe breakfast is an important part of student growth and very valuable before they start to learn for the day.”

Also in Okarche, something old may lead to something new.

The old elementary has been torn down with exception of the old cafeteria and gym.

The plan is to turn it into a new, state-of-the-art band room for fifth-12th grades.

The district is currently working with an architect and construction manager to start a remodel inside and out beginning this fall.

In addition, construction will soon begin on a new baseball ad softball complex located directly west of the future band room.

The current goal is to complete those projects by next fall.

“It’s also important to know that these projects will be funded by our current and future building fund dollars and a bond issue will not be necessary,” Sumrall wrote.

Dover

This district is in the midst of a couple of major construction projects.

First and foremost, dirt work has begun for the new elementary building.

It will sit at the north end of the campus.

The district, toward the end of last school year, also began reconfiguring the softball complex, which sits west of the high school gym.

While in the midst of that project, renovations to the outfield of the baseball field also took place.

The ditch that ran from centerfield north - and the subsequent hill leading to the left field fence - have been mostly flattened.

Dover baseball coach Dylan Blundell said he hopes the baseball field is ready for action this fall. In the meantime, Dover could be playing some of its home games at Kingfisher’s Homier Field.

The softball team isn’t expected to have any home dates this fall as construction on that complex continues.

Hennessey

Why does Kingfisher have a new superintendent?

Because Hennessey coaxed Jason Sternberger into trekking about 20 miles north to take over for the retiring Dr. Mike Woods.

Hennessey students have annually already begun classes, but one of the changes Sternberger requested - and received - was pushing back the start of school a week.

He also has at his disposal one of the crown jewels in western Oklahoma as far as gymnasiums go. The Eagle Event Center was put to use full-time during last school year.

Cashion

It’s been a seemingly neverending construction at Cashion and this year is no exception.

The new baseball field was completed in time for the Wildcats to christen it last spring.

Progress continues on the track complex, which sits across State Highway 74F from the school campus.

The bond issue passed in 2019 also has seen renovations to the elementary and middle schools, classroom additions, a new secure entry, a fully enclosed corridor connecting the high school and middle school and a new greenhouse.

It will also provide a new parking area south of the high school.

Crescent

Multiple districts saw major construction projects completed during last school year.

Crescent is one of them, which now has a new elementary and cafeteria.

Both were expected to be finished before the start of last school year - they were part of a 2017 bond issue that passed - but a plethora of issues caused those delays.

Now completed, they welcome a new superintendent, Dr. Courtney Knapp.

That position had been filled by Bart Watkins, who remains the CHS principal.

Lomega

Like Crescent, Lomega broke in a new school building during last school year.

Students were able to experience the new Lomega High School during the second semester of 2020-21.

This will be the first full year in the brand-new facility.

One of the features of the new building was a safe room.

Prior to its construction, the threat of inclement weather meant students had to walk across a county road to the basement of one of the school-owned homes to find proper shelter.

The shelter at the new school has already been put to use.

Students attending the Lomega basketball camp at the end of May were safely led to the new facility when dangerous weather threatened the area.