Two new teachers and coaches were hired Monday night by the Henryetta school board but a temporary high school counselor's position was left unfilled.
Rick Duncan was selected to teach Oklahoma history and government as well as girls high school basketball coach. He will also be the middle school girls slow and fast pitch coach and high school slow pitch coach.
Chris Burns was selected to be the assistant high school girls basketball, assistant high school baseball and middle school girls basketball coach. He will also teach a sixth grade  computer keyboarding computer class.
Other hires were Stacy Bullard as STEM coordinator and full-time bus driver and Melanie Green will be the high school color guard coordinator.
Felicia McGowin was nominated for the temporary high school counselor's position but board members were split on the decision to hire her. Both Jeanie Duncan and Brandi Cunningham voted against while James Williams and Brandi Brown were in favor. Because the fifth board member, James Cox was not present, that split vote goes down as a "No" vote. This is the third school board meeting Cox has not attended.
The selections were made following a nearly two-hour executive session.
In other business, the board accepted a resignation letter from long-time high school baseball coach Keith Furer. No announcement was made as to who would head up the high school baseball program. Furer had been in Henryetta for the past 15 years.
Next week will see the start of classes. The first bell will ring Thursday morning but parents will have an opportunity to meet teachers and administrators Aug. 19. An open house will be held from 1 to 7 p.m. at all the schools.
At that open house, parents are expected to see the plans for the new STEM and elementary buildings.
Dana Boyton from the Nabholz Engineering firm told board members design sets will be available at the schools showing full color renderings of the project.
She  explained an initial location for the STEM building has been changed following several surveys this summer.
"We think the area south of the road will be a better location," She said. The would put it more across the street from the Middle School instead of east and down the hill side.
Boyton projected dirt work to start in mid-September then construction should start up in October.
Both buildings are expected to be completed by the start of the 2016-17 school year.
She said new roofs are expected to be put on the buildings in October.