Justin Been and his wife Stacy were hired Wednesday at a special Henryetta school board meeting.
Following a short executive session, board members hired Stacy Been as an activity clerk support worker. Her husband will be moving to Henryetta from beggs and will be the drama/U.S. history, world history, government and drivers and safety education teacher when the school year starts in August.
At the same meeting, board members awarded $720,000 in school building bonds to be sold to First National Bank in Okmulgee and Country Club bank of Kansas City.
The joint bid from the two financial institutions was accepted after three bids were opened. That bid was for the bonds to have a $30,960 interest cost to the school at a 2.15 percent interest rate.
Those bonds are the latest installment of the $9.640 million bond issue voters approved in a 2015 election.
When the bond issue was passed, financial experts estimated they would be sold at a 3.5 percent interest rate. Since then, the rates have been below that estimate. School officials had targeted 31 mills at the top charge for property taxes. Currently taxpayers are being charged 29 mills. “The higher you go in mills, the higher your taxes go,” said Andy Davis from the Stephen L. Smth financial service.
The two other bidders were BOK Financial Securities with a $32,400 interest cost at 2.25 percent and Oklahoma City investment house, Baker Group at $32,328 interest cost at 2.245 percent.