After an executive session to discuss personnel issues, the Shawnee Board of Education returned to the meeting room to vote.
During the special meeting on June 27, they approved hiring Jackie Noble as the Director of Elementary Education, and they approved Molly Wilson as the new Will Rogers Elementary Principal.
Noble was Will Rogers’ principal for the last 12 years, and she taught at the elementary and middle school levels for a total of 14 years.
Noble started her education career as an assistant principal and then principal in Choctaw, for two years. Then, she came back to Shawnee and served as assistant principal at Shawnee Middle School for two years.
Noble said, as Director of Elementary Education, she will be responsible for all of the decision-making, curriculum and assessments at all four of Shawnee’s elementary schools and Shawnee Early Childhood Center.
“I just love working with the teachers and the students. I love working with curriculum,” she said, following the meeting. “I’m anxious to work on this side of it, helping others. I’ve been in the trenches doing it now for so long, but I feel I have the experience to step in and help. And I’m excited about that.”
“A little bit sad to leave my kiddos at the building level, but excited to work at the district level.”
Wilson was not present at the meeting.
In Business Requiring Board Action, they awarded a bid for Child Nutrition Service Contract to Ondemand Restaurant Service. Superintendent Dr. April Grace said it is for maintenance of the school’s freezers with a different vendor.
A second bid was awarded to School and Office Products for removable bleacher seating. A third bid was awarded to AAA Playgrounds for rubber mulch at SECC.
Grace said, compared to wood mulch, it was safer, metal free, and would last longer. She added that, if it worked well, they may consider switching at other campuses, as well.
A fourth bid went to McGregor Brick and Stone for masonry work at the Performing Arts and Athletic Center.
“So, we have over at the PAAC some columns, and they’re made of that same ethos material that’s usually up high, but it’s more of ... a material that kind of feels like a Styrofoam, but you can chip away at it. It gets holes in it, and ... you can’t really repair it very well,” said Grace.
They plan to put brick around the columns, covering them 10 feet high, to prevent any further damage.
“It will enhance the look and keep it from the incident that we’re constantly having to try to repair with some kind of a plasters,” she said.
The last three bids will all be paid with Pottawatomie County Sales Tax Funds.
All consent docket items were approved, including the resignations of eight certified and six support employees; encumbrance registers for the 2021- 22 and the 2022-23 fiscal years; public gifts; school activity fund transfers for the 2021- 22 fiscal year; 2022-23 school activity fund sub-accounts; guidelines for tax exempt bonds in accordance with the US Dept. of Treasury; and disposal of surplus school property.
They also approved sanctioning for the 2022-23 school year for the Sequoyah Parent/ Teacher Assoc., Shawnee FFA Booster Club, and Shawnee Band Booster Club. The following agreements were approved: City of Shawnee Police Service contract, Kellogg & Sovereign Consulting, LLC, Seesaw, and Instructure/Canvas.
The board approved all certified, support, and athletic personnel for the 2022-23 school year. They included 19 temporary certified contracts, 11 support staff contracts, and 72 athletic contracts for coaches in 14 sports.
For more information, visit the Shawnee Public Schools website at https://www.shawnee.k12.ok.us/.
