Two new teachers and a para-professional were hired and resignations accepted from two other teachers Monday night at the Henryetta school board meeting.
Longtime teachers and coach Cindy and Greg Rector announced they would be retiring as of July 1. They have been at Henryetta schools for the past 20 years.
Following a short executive session, the board hired Adrianne Collett as an elementary para-professional, Olivia Mahan to teach kindergarten and Vanessa Danker as a sixth grade math teacher.
Two other teacher positions, high school history and high school English, were not filled. Board members are also still looking for a high school baseball coach as well as a geography teacher.
The new STEM building officially belongs to the Henryetta school system. Superintendent Dwayne Noble told the board he and other officials went htrough the building and checked off the “punch list” earlier this month. “It’s ours,” he said.
The school is currently receiving equipment and classroom supplies for the building and plans call for a public open house. “We want to have STEM night and invite people to see the building when we get everything in.” The date will be announced later.
Noble told the board that 60 people took advantage of the safe room in the kindergarten building during a storm in late May. “I think we will see more people using it as they realize it is available.
Bruce Jones told the board that he had been contacted by Henryetta fire chief David Bullard about the safe room being open. “When I was told about it, I put it on Facebook and a lot of people took advantage of it,” he said.
“There’s probably not a whole lot of towns with the capacity we have,” Noble said.
That structure as well as the STEM building are designed as saferooms. During school hours, they will be used to contain the entire student body. After hours, the buildings can be opened to the public.