Tonkawa Board of Education met Monday, August 13, 2024 and the meeting was called to order at 5:30 p.m. Members present were Casey McAnich, Jerry Hook, Tyler Langston and Melanie Bellinghausen.Minutes of the June 26, 2024 regular meeting were read and the board voted to approve the minutes.After roll call, an executive session to discuss hiring a paraprofessional, substitute teachers, and janitorial/maintenance personnel was proposed and all present members voted to convene in an executive session. The board then returned back into open session at 5:55 pm and took no action during the executive session.The board began to discuss the Superintendent’s recommendation concerning the employment of janitorial/ maintenance staff for two candidates and, pending background checks, a yes vote was given to the recommendation by all present board members.Discussion on the Superintendent’s recommendation concerning the employment of a paraprofessional for the 2024-2025 school year was held and all present members voted yes to the motion to hire the one candidate.The board then moved to discuss the Superintendent’s recommendation concerning the employment of substitute teachers for the 2024-2025 school year and all present members voted yes for the two candidates for that position.Next, the board discussed whether to approve or not approve the employment of adjunct instructors to teach at TPS in the 2024-2025 school year. Adjunct instructors are teachers that may be in the tops of their field or working towards a teaching certification, but haven’t yet received it. Allowing more adjunct instructors who are more educated in specific fields, but weren’t on the teaching path during their own higher education, still allows students to be taught by members of specific fields that hold incredible knowledge on them. Of the 7 certified adjunct instructors and the 3 non-certified adjunct instructors, the board voted to approve all of them in question.Discussion to vote and approve or not approve General Fund purchase order encumbrance numbers 58 through 194 in the amount of $227,975.38 was held. These item lines included general costs to prepare the school to reopen and all present board members voted to approve the purchase order.The board moved on to the discussion and vote of the General Fund Payroll purchase order of numbers 50,000 through 50,104 in the amount of $5,951,328. Discussion about three TPS staff that would no longer be on the list was held and all present board members voted to approve the payroll with the correction of ...
