Henryetta school board members are hoping the next school year will be back to business as usual.
With that thought in mind, the board adopted the new school calendar for 2021-22. It calls for students to report to class August 12, 2021 and end their studies May 19, 2022.
“We are being optimizing this will be a normal year,” superintendent Dwayne Noble told the board. “If COVID is still going on, we can change it as needed.” Graduation is set for May 13.
In preparation for the coming year, board members rehired Jayme Matlock, elementary principal; Roger Williams, assistant elementary principal; Brad Wion, middle school principal and Kelly Furer, high school principal.
The board accepted the resignation of elementary para Katie Simons.
The board also extended the contract for the superintendent through June 30, 2024.
For the past year, students have been riding in new buses and the board elected to declare the old vehicles surplus and sell them. “Some will start, some can’t but we are not going to put money in them,” Noble said. We will sell them as is. No date was set for the sale.
Benchmark testing has just finished for Henryetta elementary students. Matlock said the pandemic has affected the children and teachers and staff are working to help those students who need it. “It’s been quite a roller coaster ride,” she said.
Furer said the school will be hosting a blood drive next week in the auditorium. “This is a need and the kids have been asking us to do this.”
She praised the high school law team who earned the right to compete in the semi-finals. “This is the second year to compete and they have been doing it virtually. This is fabulous for a new team.”