Guthrie school board needs two votes to assign officers

The Guthrie Public Schools Board of Education needed two votes last week to seat the new officers for the board.

In the first plan of action, Jennifer Bennett-Johnson was sworn in to her seat. Afterwards, the board voted on the seating of the new board members.

Janna Pierson quickly recommended First Vice-President Gail Davis as BOE President and second by Tom Holtz. However, with no discussion, the vote failed 3-4 with yes votes coming from Pierson, Gail Davis and Holtz and no votes from Terry Pennington, Travis Sallee, Sharon Watts and Bennett-Johnson.

Seconds later, Watts made a recommendation to seat a slate of officers, including Sallee to President, Pennington to First VP, Davis to Second VP, Watts to Board Clerk and Bennett-Johnson to Deputy Board Clerk. The motion was second by Bennett-Johnson with no discussion and was approved 4-3 with yes votes from Pennington, Sallee, Watts and Bennett-Johnson and no votes this time from Davis, Pierson and Holtz.

In each vote, the members verbally casted their vote quickly and with a sharp tone.

With the new officers, Sallee jumps over the 1st and 2nd VP positions straight to the President’s seat. Guthrie News Page requested seating of the Board of Education back to 2004. Records do not show any member making the move from board clerk to president. In those years, either of the vice presidents were voted to the top position.

In the Superintendent’s Report, Dr. Mike Simpson said he is working with the Logan County District Attorney’s Office when it comes to unexcused absences. It currently takes 10 days before a letter to the parents is handed out. The district would like to lower that to five unexcused absences.

The board approved both the consent and business agendas with 7-0 votes.

The board approved Guthrie Baseball Booster Club to become a sanctioned organization and begin cooperative activities program with St. Mary’s Catholic Schools of Guthrie for the sports football, cross country, wrestling and track.

Also approved were: School Age Care handbook, K-8 remedial summer school program, allow special education students to attend the Special Olympic Summer Games in Stillwater.

Following an executive session of 64 minutes, district and building level administrator’s contracts were all approved. Finally, the board approved the resignation of Andy Wilhoit, a teacher at Fogarty Elementary.