Durant High School freshman Braxton Manous built a GaGa ball pit at the intermediate school for his Eagle Scout project and he was recognized during last week’s meeting of the Durant Board of Education.
Manous is the son of school board President Jason Manous.
Superintendent Mark Moring said he researched the project Manous recently completed at DIS.
“I had no clue what a GaGa pit was,” Moring said. “I’ve seen them, but it’s basically an octagon where you put a bunch of students in, they get a ball and the last that touches the ball, I guess is the winner.
“It has been a blast over here at DIS. I’m telling you, I think (Principal Aaron) Mr. McCoy has had to change up his duty stations and different things because there is always kids over there at the GaGa ball pit.”
Moring also researched Eagle Scouts and said it is very impressive.
“Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouts of America,” Moring said. “Since it’s inception in 1911, only four percent of scouts have earned this rank after a lengthy review process. I don’t think I made it past Cub Scouts.”
The Eagle Scout rank can be earned by a scout who has been a a life scout for at least six months, has earned a minimum of 21 merit badges, plus demonstrated scout spirit and leadership within their troop. They must also plan, develop and lead a service project.
“What I like about this is we have students that are being producers and not consumers,” Moring said. “There’s so many times in our society that we’re looking at our students and our society just in general as being consumers and what can you do for me all the time. So, this is absolutely something that really touches my heart because we’ve got to, I mean, if we want to have a better community and a better society, we’ve got to be producers and not consumers. So, I from the bottom of Durant Independent School District, I want to thank you for your project at the intermediate school and hopefully, it encourages other students to be like this and be producers and not consumers. So Braxton, thank you very much.”
Board Member Chaz Polk said, “I’ve got a fifth grader and it was a few days after you had finished the project and I pick him up from daycare and I’m like, ‘Well, they have like turf-type at the daycare and I’m like, why is there dirt all over you?’ His face and everything. He said, ‘There’s this new game at school.’ Then of course, I know his dad. He liked it, it was neat.”
Manous will be eligible to complete the Eagle Scout requirements in approximately February after he has achieved the Life Scout rank for six months. He also has three more merit badges to complete and the final step will be going before the Eagle Board of Review.
In other agenda items, Thomas Seidel of Mid-Plains Construction presented an update on the new agriculture building under construction at Durant High School. He said ceramic tiles have been put on the walls inside the building and they will be putting ceilings in the bathrooms. There has been paving around the outside of the building and workers are also having utilities tied in plus putting exhaust systems in the shop building for the welding booth.
“We’ve got the first coat of paint on the walls and ceilings going in and so all we really lack is finishing up,” Seidel said.
He expects the facility to be completed at Christmas time and ready for use the following semester.
Bo McIlvoy spoke to the board during the citizen comments portion of the meeting. He said there was a situation at the middle school, however, he said the school district has amazing administrators.
“You’ve got some phenomenal administrators,” McIlvoy said. “This situation was handled 100 percent correctly. “It brought up something that I wanted to bring to your attention just to start a conversation and that is metal detectors at facilities. All right, it’s crazy the world we live in. You cannot disagree with that. Guns are just a thing now days. It’s scary … I don’t like it.”
The second thing McIlvoy said he wanted to address was athletics.
“Our culture is struggling,” he said. “I’m trying to help culture. When my son was hurt, he was told he could not go to the games. I could take him. I just thought that was weird. If somebody gets hurt, they’re not allowed to go to the game and not be a teammate. If I’m struggling, is my wife going to kick me to the curb? I don’t think so, we’re a family. I feel like a team is a family. We have taken him to the games and kudos to the middle school staff for letting him ride the bus back from Broken Bow.”
McIlvoy asked if that was something that could be addressed at some point. No action was taken by the board.
Moring spoke of updates in the district and he said Astro-Turf is being installed on the practice football field. He also talked about it being Hispanic Heritage Month and a school supper to recognize them.
Moring praised The Pride of Durant high school band for earning numerous awards during competitions recently.
“I guess they finally put all their performances together,” Moring said. “That was absolutely amazing at halftime and they actually performed at Tishomingo and walked away with a ton of awards. Also, the football team got a win.”
The board approved the following certified personnel: Laura Bull, speech pathologist and Nita Anteau, part-time special education teacher.
Adjunct faculty for the 2024-2025 school year were approved: Melissa Allen, sixth-grade science and world geography teacher at DIS; Taylor Williams, seventh/ eighth-grade co-teach math at DMS; Todd Vargas, physical education at DHS; Joli Jorgenson, algebra 1 at DHS; Joseph Parsons, chemistry at DHS; Will Robinson, Choctaw 1 & 2 at DHS; Ryan Cook, psychology at DHS; John B. Hill, Oklahoma history and world geography at DHS, and Shawn McClellan, physical education at DHS.
Board members approved the following Indian education tutors for after-school tutoring program: Scott Bonnin and Amanda Cresse at DHS; Christine Herrin, Tracy Risner and Neurine Schomer at DIS - Cindy Proctor will be an alternate; Anna Carey, Pam Carey and Melina Ludlow at WI - Olivia Bench will be an alternate, and Miranda Lowe and Traci Tipton at GW.
The following support personnel were approved by the board: Trevor Golden, graduate assistant (coaching position) at DHS; Jaimelle Wood, special education teacher assistant at DIS; Kathleen Burnette, library assistant at GW (part time); Makenna Lehr, special education teacher assistant at REL; Barbara Bonamassa, transportation employee, and Shalonda Onwuenweuzor, transportation employee.
