Alva Review-Courier -

Spring Sports Gear Up; FFA Hot and Heavy

Teachers' and students' hard-won skills at virtual learning paid off when the severe winter weather hit the area last month. “Despite the crazy weather, school continued without interruption due to virtual learning,” Burrows said in her report to the board on elementary school activities.

Softball, baseball and track have kicked off. The elementary track team's first meet is March 24, Burrows said.

A.R. incentive trips were last week. Students went to Boiling Springs State Park to see the springs, hike some trails and eat a sack lunch, and then went on to see the natural spring at Crystal Beach in Woodward, ending at Braums for ice cream.

High School/Junior High Principal Dustin Smith reported that the FFA program is hot and heavy right now. At the district livestock show Waynoka had one pig and one goat that made it to the premium sale. On Friday the FFA Boosters had the local livestock show with the hog show being virtual. Saturday was the county livestock show and the kids did very well there as well.

Some elementary students have shown at the local, county and district livestock shows this past month and have done extremely well, Burrows wrote in her report. “I'm excited to see what more these students and their animals will accomplish,” at OYE, she said. OYE began the day the board met, March 8; in fact, Superintendent Scott Cline was headed to the city with equipment after the board meeting.

End-of-year testing is getting underway, too.

“The testing window opens on the 18th of March,” said Smith. “We are going to start with the junior history test on March 30 and the ACT on the 6th. Basically, every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of April the students will be testing. Mrs. Cline does a very good job scheduling, making sure the kids are on track taking their state tests.”

Susan Holliday, the Woods County Extension educator, held a “Reality Check” via Zoom with all seventh through twelfth graders. The event is usually held in Alva, but it was virtual this year.

The words of the month at the elementary school were compassion, perserverance and generosity. Seventy-four students made the RAIL Club, having perfect attendance and no behavior problems during the month of February. In-person parent/teacher conferences were last week.

School's Insurance Company in Financial Distress, Says Cline

Superintendent Cline went over the school's February financials, telling the board that expenses were slightly down compared to last year. Revenue is down $880,000, but $600,000 is ad valorem and $280,000 is from other sources. About $1.2 to $1.3 million remains in expenditures “to come out even on the budget,” according to the meeting minutes.

There were no expenditures in the Building Fund and revenue was down $140,000, Cline reported. The Child Nutrition expenditure for the month was $9,000 and collections were $1,400. Collections were low, Cline said, because problems at the state's computer system resulted in the school not being reimbursed for February meals. However, the payment has been received and will be on the school's March financial documents.

The daycare total expended is $95,000 and $43,000 has been collected, which is a net loss of $52,000 year to date.

“The last thing to discuss is about our insurance company,” Cline said. The company – Oklahoma School Risk Management Trust, or OSMRT – is in financial difficulty due to “the loss of schools,” according to the minutes, and so the company has raised its rates.

“The insurance company pays out the first $250,000 and then they have other reinsurers that basically take on the rest of the cost,” the minutes state. “The premiums for those have gone up” and so have the school's premiums, he said.

“The company is going to struggle to keep their doors open,” he told the board; “they have 78 schools right now and are going to reissue an 11 percent raise in our insurance for this year and the school's portion will be $12,650,” he said. The expenditure will show up in the March financials.

“Hopefully, if all 78 schools choose to stay with the company, our premiums will go up roughly 25 percent next year,” Cline said. “If enough schools do not stay with them for next year and they close their doors, they will reissue another 42 percent increase that will have to be paid out this year. If the company closes the school could stand to lose the 11 percent and the 42 percent. The insurance premiums for this year were $115,000 plus the $12,650. The school will be getting a quote from OSIG for insurance; that is the only fiscally responsible thing to do,” he said.

OSRMT will send out their quote the first part of May, and the school has until mid-May to decide.

Other Board Business

Mr. Cline presented Rick George with a plaque of appreciation, a coat and a gift certificate for his 30 years of service on the Waynoka School Board.

In other business, the board approved the following:

• the school audit report.

• the consent agenda, consisting of past meeting minutes; reports on the general, building, activity, bond and children's nutrition funds' balances and encumbrances; and change orders.

• the termination of employment for Earnest Smith, effective Feb. 19.

• the resignation of Russell Byers.

Present were board members Rick George, Travis George, Garret Gum and John Hanson (board member Clint Olson was absent). Also present were Superintendent Scott Cline, High School Principal Dustin Smith, Elementary Principal Patricia Burrow, and Minutes Clerk Lori Adair.