Alva Review-Courier -

The principals of Waynoka Public Schools were full of enthusiasm for the success of the summer camps this year, as was evident in their reports to the school board at its regular meeting last Wednesday morning.

Students engaged in some fascinating projects in summer school this year. “We did some pretty awesome things,” said High School Principal Dustin Smith, “things that were over my head!” For example, in the high school the students learned coding – they automated a brain impact simulator to study head trauma, built catapults, and created a video of the experiences that Smith said he hoped to share with the students at some point.

The elementary students made a solar energy box, and last week it was finally sunny enough to get it outside and set it up. They also baked their own lunch on Thursday, and on their last full day they met had pizza and s'mores. The elementary students also wrote letters to the board members, which Elementary Principal Patricia Burrow passed out after the meeting.

Students and teachers learned a lot about each other through the experience, said Burrow, and they will be learning how to solve some of the glitches that cropped up during summer school.

Basketball camps were held the month of June. Elementary teachers Renee Gaskill and Sandra Summers will attend Great Expectations July 12-15.

Enrollment for the schools is already approaching. Enrollment will be held July 22, 3 to 7 p.m., and July 23, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“Summer's going fast,” said Smith.

Expenditures, Collections Down

In general and building fund expenditures, the schools spent about $125,000 less from each fund than the year before, said Superintendent Scott Cline.

The school has undercollected quite a lot, as they knew they would. The general fund has undercollected $772,000, and the building fund has undercollected about $142,000.

“Luckily we got about $123,000 of federal money in this month that was reimbursed to us, so that cushioned it a little bit,” said Cline. “That all said and done, we did not dip unto our carryover at all.” He also said it was the best year they've ever had in child nutrition.

The daycare will start up again in August. The program lost $70,000 last year, $20,000 more than Cline's initial projected loss. “Hopefully we can start closing that gap next year,” Cline said.

“A lot of experts say this next year, as we try to recover, they expect to be the hardest year financially,” Cline cautioned the board. Once more tax protests are settled, he'll have a better understanding of the school's financial situation, he said.

Other Board Business

The board adopted an investment resolution with the Woods County Treasurer concerning surplus funds for 2021-2022 school year.

They also approved contracting with Monica Frans for special education services. The board later approved the employment of a certified teacher under a temporary contract for the 2021-2022 school year.

The board also handled housekeeping items, such as designating Cline as the official purchasing agent for the schools, as the authorized representative for all federal programs including e-rate, and as the authorized representative for the child nutrition school lunch program. They also approved giving him the authority to designate additional personnel as receiving agents when necessary.

Other items approved included:

• designating Lori Adair as the board's minutes clerk, the encumbrance clerk, and the alternative purchasing agent; Anna Milledge as the board's deputy minutes clerk and activity fund account custodian; Cline and Milledge as check signers for the school lunch fund and activity account; and giving the activity fund custodian authority to transfer assets in the activity account when there is actual exchange as long as there is no movement of money without recovery for 2021-2022 school year.

• the recommended expenditures from Activity Accounts for 2021-2022 school year, and the consent agenda, consisting of minutes of past meetings, fund reports, encumbrances and change orders.

• membership renewal with Oklahoma School Advisory Council (OSAC) for the 2021-2022 school year

• membership renewal with OROS for the 2021-2022 school year

The board approved the student and parent handbook, and the Virtual Academy student and parent handbook. They also approved a host of board policy updates on everything from disposal of surplus property, accommodating lactating employees, suicide awareness and training, and student dress codes. A list of library items was approved as surplus, and fundraiser requests from the cheer and athletic teams were approved.