News and notes from the January board meeting
Posted on 01/14/2020
January School Board Meeting(SPS) -- For the first time seven months, the Sapulpa Public Schools Board of Education met inside the board room at the Washington Administrative Center.

The monthly meetings had been displaced due to the Memorial Day weekend severe weather that caused damage to the WAC. The repairs have been completed and it’s back to business in the usual setting for the board.

It was a packed agenda for the January meeting. Everything from recognitions to financial reports to donation approvals was discussed.

Before getting into the agenda, Superintendent Rob Armstrong recognized the school board members for their tireless contributions to the district as part of January being School Board Recognition Month in Oklahoma.

The 2019-20 site Teachers of the Year were introduced to the board. The teachers were chosen by their peers. The district Teacher of the Year will be announced on Friday, Jan. 24.

On Feb. 6, 5th-grade students from the district and surrounding districts will participate in Road to the Revolution: Colonial Times 2.0. First Baptist Church is hosting the event where the students will transform into colonists from early American history. Students will participate in several sessions including interactions with notable figures such as Benjamin Franklin. The board unanimously approved a $350 donation courtesy of the Daughters of the American Revolution to help make the event possible.

The board unanimously approved the generous donation of $229,188 from the Edward E. and Helen Turner Bartlett Foundation. The grants will be divided up among various programs in the district.

“We can simply do more because of their generosity,” said Superintendent Rob Armstrong during the discussion about the Bartlett Foundation.

During Superintendent Comments, as part of the Information and Discussion Items, Armstrong, along with CFO/Business Manager Kenda Terrones gave an update on the General Fund following the mid-year adjustment to allocations from the state. The district will receive $568,178 less than was initially allocated at the beginning of the fiscal year. The loss in state aid is attributed to the decline in the district’s Weighted Average Daily Membership. However, Armstrong and Terrones pointed out that corrections to property values locally will mean more Ad Valorem money coming in.

Assistant Superintendent Johnny Bilby briefly spoke about Policy 544.1.3 Student Activity Drug Testing. He said that the policy is still under review and that part of the next steps is to have discussions with coaches about the current and future state of the policy. Joyce Bruner, grandmother of a high school student, spoke about the policy during the Hearing from the Public section of the meeting. Mrs. Bruner expressed her concerns with the current policy, specifically that the penalty phase is “too harsh.” She discussed how she and others in the community have had meetings with district administration and that she looks forward to continuing to help with the policy.

The next Sapulpa Public Schools Board Meeting is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 10.