For several decades Henryetta teacher and former coach Kent Lackey has been collecting and storing items reflecting the history of Henryetta schools.
Ranging from letter jackets to film to uniforms, the collection has been stored in a double-wide building sitting under shady oak trees just south of the high school.
Monday night Marcus Whitworth, a member of the Henryetta historical society, asked the school board to consider turning that building into a school museum, showcasing the school history over the years.
“We have a rich heritage of being a Knight and being a Hen,” he said. “The school has decades of history and Kent Lackey doesn’t let things go to the dumpster.”
He pointed out Lackey has been an educator for the past 51 years and has stored much of that memorabilia in the building.
“We need to take his collections and display them so the public can enjoy them. This would help our student body understand the past.”
Whitworth asked the board for access to the building in order to turn it into a museum as well as connecting electricity and adding heating and cooling to it. Currently the building has no electrical hookups. The building would stay in its present location but would be accessible to the public.
“He has film there and it is not good to have it exposed to extreme temperatures.”
Superintendent Dwayne Noble said the school currently picks up the cost of insurance on the building and would have to absorb the cost of heating and cooling.
No decision was made by the board.