Board to Appoint New
Member for District 2
The board voted Thursday night to declare the District No. 2 board seat vacant
and to appoint a current resident of District 2 to serve on the board until an election is
held in February 2016. The board also set in place a process and timeline for filling the
position.
The board seat became open when Bren Smith, who held the position for two years,
resigned at the Feb. 2 meeting because she is moving out of the area the District 2 board
member represents.
Applications for the District 2 Seat
People interested in filling the District 2 board seat should submit an application.
Applications will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11. Applications
may be obtained from Debbie Baldwin, board clerk, at 495-5200, ext. 1238, or
[email protected]
Applications may be submitted in one of three ways:
1. Applicants may submit their application in person to the district’s board clerk in
the district’s Administration Building at 5401 N.W. 40th.
2. Applicants may fax their application to the board clerk at 491-7515.
3. Applicants may mail their application to Board Clerk, Putnam City Schools,
5401 N.W. 40th, Oklahoma City, OK, 73122.
(continued on page 2)
Congratulations to Noah Bowles, Putnam City West Orchestra student, who won the
viola solo division and the Quartet Division at the Buttram Awards for the Oklahoma
Music Olympics. Noah was also the first chair viola in the Oklahoma Music Educators’
Association All-State Orchestra and first chair viola in the North Central Honor
Orchestra. This is extremely unusual for a sophomore student to achieve this high level
of honor.
Congratulations to the Putnam City North drama students who recently competed at
the Norman High School tournament. The team placed third in sweepstakes. Placing
in individual events and qualifying for regionals were Richard Lynch, first place in
humorous interpretation and third place in poetry; Allison Collins, second place in
ooetry; Andy Greely, second place in monologue; Tasneem Ahmad, fourth place in
prose; and Bo Peoples and Fayequan Johnson, second place in dramatic duet. At the
(continued on page 3)
Feb. 19, 2015
Board Members
Board members thanked Shannon
Meeks for his presentation on the budget.
Becky Haliburton thanked Gail
LoPresto for her leadership while serving
as board president for the past year.
Tammy West also thanked LoPresto
for her service, focus on what’s good for the
board and the district and ability to make
hard decisions. She also thanked Cindy
Gibbs for her willingness to assume the
position of board president.
Cindy Gibbs joined her colleagues
in thanking LoPresto, praising her for her
experience and wisdom. She also noted that
the district’s two National Merit Finalists
both attended Wiley Post Elementary.
Gail LoPresto thanked Gibbs for taking
over as board president. She also noted the
retirements of Nancy Ellis and Tim Wall
and said they would be missed.
Meeting Date: Thursday, Feb. 19, 5 p.m.
Location:
Administration Building
Roll Call:
All five members of the board were present: Gail LoPresto, president;
Cindy Gibbs, vice president;
Becky Haliburton; and Tammy
West. Also present were
Dr. Fred Rhodes, superintendent;
and Debbie Baldwin, board
clerk.
Next Meeting: Monday, March 2, 5 p.m.
Putnam City Schools does not discriminate on the
basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin,
age, marital or veteran status, or disability.
Feb. 19, 2015
District 2 Board Seat Open (continued from page 1)
Interviews
Applicants for the board seat will be interviewed by the board at a special meeting
on Monday, March 23. The board will interview all applicants before appointing a new
board member. The board plans to announce its new member at their April 6 meeting.
District 2 Boundaries
Board members represent specific geographic areas of the Putnam City school
district, meaning anyone who wishes to be considered for the District 2 seat must be a
District 2 resident.
Exactly where is District 2?
District 2 is an irregularly shaped district that stretches as far north as Wilshire, as
far south as N.W. 46th, as far west as Rockwell and as far east as May Avenue. People
interested in applying for the board vacancy should make sure they reside inside
District 2 boundaries by checking the map below or viewing the detailed map at
www.putnamcityschools.org/Portals/0/docs/BoardMemberBoundaries2011a.pdf
LoPresto Sworn In;
New Officers
Elected
Gail LoPresto was sworn in
Thursday night to a fifth term as a
member of Putnam City’s Board of
Education. LoPresto first joined the
board after winning an election in 1997.
LoPresto ran unopposed in her most
recent election, clearing the way for
her to begin her 19th year of service to
the district. Her new term will expire in
2020.
The board also elected officers
for the coming year. Cindy Gibbs was
elected president and Becky Haliburton
was elected vice president.
The board also reelected Debbie
Baldwin as board clerk, Sandy Lemaster
as deputy board clerk and Ruthie
Gendreau as encumbrance clerk.
Speech Pathologist
Contract Approved
Putnam City’s District 2 is shown above in yellow.
The law says it’s not enough that someone simply live within the boundaries
of District 2. Oklahoma statutes say that candidates must have resided within the
geographical boundaries of the election district for at least six months preceding the
first day of the filing period. In addition, candidates must have been a registered voter
with the county election board at an address within the geographical boundaries of the
election district for six months preceding the first day of the filing period. In this case,
the filing period refers to the first day of the filing period for applications, which is
Feb. 20
Other Requirements for Candidates
Candidates for the board of education must meet other requirements set forth
in law, too. Some of the requirements have do with education, a clean record and
not being an employee of the district or being related to anyone who is an
employee with the district. The requirements may be found in full at
www.putnamcityschools.org/BoardofEducation/QualificationsofCandidates.aspx
The board on Thursday night
approved contracts with Emily Barstow
for speech language pathologist services.
The contract for the remainder of the
2014-2015 school year will help meet the
requirements for evaluating and servicing
children who qualify for Speech
Language Pathology services within the
district.
PAGE 3
Feb. 19, 2015
Superintendent’s Report
(continued from page 1)
same Norman tournament, Putnam City High School students also brought home
honors. David Schmitz took second place in standard oratory, Abbie Schmitz took third
place in monologue, and the two students together took second place in humorous duet.
Congratulations to Putnam City North athletic trainer Erin Herrmann, who was
awarded $1,000 for receiving the Gatorade Secondary Schools Athletic Training
Award. Ms. Herrmann is the only recipient of this award in the seven-state regional
area. The award was based on the well-rounded athletic training program provided at
Putnam City North. Noteworthy accomplishments include recognition for receiving
Oklahoma All State Athletic Trainer; assisting with students winning the Pink Out
challenge by raising the most money in the state for breast cancer; implementing
an athletic training class; assisting with the creation of a heat illness policy; and
involvement with HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America). Ms. Herrmann will
be recognized at the National Athletic Training Convention in St. Louis Missouri this
summer.
 We are always pleased to report about successful partnerships between our schools
and other community organizations. The partnership between Hilldale Elementary and
Council Road Baptist Church was highlighted in a recent publication. Examples of the
types of things that the church has provided include:
•The church’s young adult ministry brought in dinner one night for the teachers
during parent-teacher conferences. They made it special with fresh fruit and
homemade desserts.
•Church members donated coats and other clothing items for needy students.
•Meals have been donated to families of students.
•A volunteer played Santa Claus and passed out candy canes at a school assembly
•Church members donated paper goods, fruit trays and cookies for holiday parties.
•During testing season this spring, church members have volunteered to be test
monitors, which is a state requirement for each classroom.
This type of partnership is a model that is being duplicated in other Putnam City
Schools and we are grateful for the tremendous community outreach to the students of
our district. Working together, we can have a positive impact on our students for years
to come.
 Another successful partnership that has been thriving for over 20 years is the
business partnership between Will Rogers Elementary and the Sonic Drive In located
at NW 122nd and N. Council. Over the years, Sonic has donated numerous funds
toward programs such as the support of literacy by purchasing new library books and
sponsoring a teacher carhop day, which resulted in tips being collected for the OMRF
Cancer Drive. This year, Sonic has donated $2,000, which will be used to purchase
new technology. We appreciate Sonic for being such a strong supporter of public
education.
 Two district students, Nicholas L. Allen and Jackson R. Jandreau from Putnam City
North, have been named National Merit Finalists. We congratulate them on earning this
recognition.
Board Approves
Service to Deer
Creek Students
The board on Thursday night
approved an IEP agreement with Deer
Creek Public Schools that will allow
Putnam City to provide services to
Deer Creek students with disabilities
who attend Positive Changes. Positive
Changes is a day treatment facility
that operates within Putnam City’s
boundaries.
State Department of Education rules
require that an IEP service agreement
must be in place when the receiving
district agrees to provide services to
special education students for another
district in order for those students to
receive a free and appropriate
education. Putnam City will bill Deer
Creek for tuition.
PAGE 4
Feb. 19, 2015
Budget Update Shared with Board
Putnam City’s mid-year allocation notice calls for the district to receive an
increase in state funding of just more than $1.2 million, Shannon Meeks, the district’s
chief financial officer, told board members Thursday night. About $536,000 of that
number comes from correction of a state error in funding of Oklahoma school districts.
The increase in funding is due to several factors. The district not only has more
students than it did last year, but also a greater number of students who are classified
either as special needs or bilingual.
Meeks said the district’s fund balance at the end of the fiscal year, initially
budgeted to be about $10.2 million, is now budgeted to end up at about $11.5 million.
Training Approved for Putnam City West
The board on Thursday night approved a contract with Solution Tree, an Indianabased company that provides educational strategies and tools to improve student and
staff performance.
Approval of the contract will enable Putnam City West High School teachers to
receive customized training and consultation about the school’s professional learning
community from Dr. Sharon Kramer. Kramer is a former assistant superintendent for
curriculum and instruction. She has taught in elementary and middle schools and was
a principal, director of elementary education, and professor. She has consulted with
Mayfield Middle School and Cooper Middle School as well as schools around the
country.
The coaching offered by Kramer will focus on building and maintaining a
collaborative school culture, strong, effective classroom instruction and the identification
of learning needs specific to the schools population.
The $45,000 cost of the contract will be covered by federal funds.
School to Host
Wellness Classes
for Community
The board on Thursday night
approved an agreement with the
Oklahoma City-County Health
Department that will allow the
department to use a district school to
offer “Total Wellness” classes for
Oklahoma City and Oklahoma County
residents at risk for chronic diseases.
The classes, at a date and time still
to be determined, will share information
about chronic disease prevention and
helpful lifestyle changes. Referrals will
be offered as needed.
There is no financial cost to the
district as a result of the agreement.
Board Rehires Superintendent’s Staff
The board on Thursday night approved rehiring the superintendent’s
administrative staff for the 2015-2016 school year. That staff is made up of Patricia
Balenseifen, executive director of Curriculum and Instruction; Cory Boggs, executive
director of Information Technology Services; Rick Croslin, executive director of
Secondary Education; Drew Eichelberger, executive director of Elementary Education;
Dr. April Grace, assistant superintendent of Human Resources; Jim Hooper, chief
operations officer; Steve Lindley, chief communications officer; Shannon Meeks, chief
financial officer; Scott McCall, executive director of Special Services; and Dr. Melani
Mouse, assistant superintendent of Academic Services.
Board Highlights is not a comprehensive review
of every item that takes place at board of education
meetings. Its purpose is merely to provide
information about items that seem of most
interest to district employees and patrons.
Complete board meeting minutes may be found at
http://www.putnamcityschools.org/BoardofEducation/BoardMeetingMinutes/tabid/565/Default.aspx
PAGE 5
Feb. 19, 2015
Change Made to 2015-2016 District
Calendar
The board on Thursday night approved a change to district calendar for the
2015-2016 school year.
The only change in the calendar has to do with the timing of fall break. Originally
the calendar was constructed with parent-teacher conferences and fall break in the
same week in order to minimize interruptions to instruction and family schedules.
As created, the calendar would have meant no school on Wednesday, Oct. 14.
However, the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test and National Merit Scholarship
Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is scheduled for Oct. 14. The PSAT/NMSQT, which
is offered just one day each year, assesses critical reading, mathematics, and writing
skills providing feedback on how ready students are for college and giving them access
to tools that help them improve. In addition, the test is used to select juniors seeking
National Merit Scholarships, which are awarded spring term of the senior year.
The 2015-2016 calendar still calls for classes to begin on Thursday, Aug. 20, and
end on Tuesday May 24. Here are main dates on the revised calendar:
Friday, Aug. 14
Teachers report
Thursday, Aug. 20
Classes begin
Monday, Sept. 7
Labor Day
(no school, district offices closed)
Thursday, Oct. 15
End of 1st quarter (40 days)
Parent conferences
(no school, district offices closed)
Friday, Oct. 16, and Monday, Oct. 19
Fall break
(no school, district offices closed)
Wednesday, Nov. 25 - Friday, Nov. 27
Thanksgiving break
(no school, district offices closed)
Friday, Dec. 18
End of 2nd quarter (41 days)
End of semester (81 days)
Monday, Dec. 21
Christmas break begins
(no school, district offices closed)
Monday, Jan. 4
Professional day (no school)
Tuesday, Jan. 5
Classes resume
Monday, Jan. 18
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
(no school, district offices closed)
Friday, Feb. 19
Parent conferences
(no school, district offices closed)
Friday, March 11
End of 3rd quarter (48 days)
Monday, March 14 - Friday, March 18
Spring break
(no school, district offices closed)
Tuesday, May 24
Last day of classes
(if no snow days are needed)
End of 4th quarter (47 days)
End of semester (95 days)
Wednesday, May 25
Professional day (no school)
Thursday, May 26
Snow day (if needed)
Friday, May 27
Snow day (if needed)
Monday, May 30
Memorial Day
(district offices closed)
Two Projects Get
Go-ahead
Putnam City’s board of education
on Thursday night gave their OK to
improvements at two schools.
The board approved hiring of Pope
Contracting to manage renovations and
upgrades to the chillers, cooling tower,
circulating pumps and mechanical
controls that make up much of the
cooling system of Cooper Middle School.
The components mentioned above, all
original to the building when it opened in
1993, are nearing the end of their useful
life. Some elements, like the DOS-based
mechanical control system, are obsolete
and parts are no longer available.
Work is expected to begin as soon as
possible and be complete in August 2015.
The cost of the job, not to exceed $1.2
million, will be paid for through bonds
approved by voters in November 2009.
The board also approved the hiring
of BNJ Builders to manage construction
of mechanical closets and a pump room
at Lake Park Elementary School. The
closets and pump room will be part of the
school’s geothermal heat and air system.
After those pieces are in place, the
district must also add geothermal units,
pipe, plumbing, electrical connections
and ductwork necessary to complete the
system and put it into operation.
When geothermal work is completed,
old heating and air conditioning units on
top of the school will be removed and a
watertight metal roof will be installed.
Work on the mechanical closets and
pump room is expected to begin within
the next few weeks and be complete
sometime in August. The cost of the job,
not to exceed $380,000, will be covered
by a combination of MAPS for Kids
funds and bond funds.