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Safety glasses for eclipse given to Durant students -
Safety glasses for eclipse given to Durant students
Eclipse glasses are being given to students in the Durant School district for the solar eclipse that will be Monday. After a Durant Board of Education meeting last Monday, administrators and board members posed wearing the glasses that were provided by Clay-Rhynes Eye Clinic. From left, Assistant Superintendent Kenny Cha_n, board member Joyce Northcutt, board President Jason Manous, board member Chaz Polk, board Vice President Paul Buntz, board member Janie Umsted and Superintendent Duane Merideth. Matt Swearengin | Durant Democrat Durant High School Business Professionals Association and Speech and Debate Team members were recognized during a Durant Board of Education meeting. Durant High School Principal Cheryl Conditt, left, and speech/ debate instructor Kylee Sloan, right, spoke about the accomplishments of the students. Durant Democrat Matt Swearengin |
The solar eclipse will Monday, April 8 and classes won’t be held that day in the Durant School District.
Superintendent Duane Merideth spoke about the eclipse during a meeting last Monday of the Durant Board of Education and he said he wanted to make sure the students are safe.
Merideth said he called Dr. Greg Clay at Clay-Rhynes Eye Clinic in Durant and asked him if he could prepare a safety brochure.
“They did that and also a video clip,” Merideth said. “They bought the majority of glasses to hand out to students at the end of the week.”
Merideth encouraged everyone to thank the clinic for providing the glasses, brochures and video.
“We want our students and families to be safe and this was a way to do that,” Merideth said.
Chaz Polk was seated for a full term to the board and he represents Office No. 4.
Polk was appointed to the board in November to fill the unexpired term of Brian Bond, who resigned in October.
The seat was up for election this year and Polk was unopposed when he filed during the filing period last December.
The board also voted for Jason Manous to serve as president of the board of education and Paul Buntz to be vice president.
Board members met in executive session with Superintendent Merideth to discuss the search process to secure a superintendent for the Durant School District. Merideth will be retiring effective July 1. No action was taken on this when the board returned to open session.
Elizabeth Dunn from the Denison School District was named assistant principal at Washington Irving. She replaces Maegan Morgan, who accepted the principal position at WI following the resignation of Gary Canada.
Students from the Durant High School Speech and Debate Team and Business Professionals Association attended the meeting and they were recognized by the board for their accomplishments.
This year’s Speech and Debate team qualified more students to state than ever before and this year, the team will be taking eight students to the state competition. They will be competing in Lincoln Douglas Debate, Policy Debate, Public Forum Debate, Extemporaneous Speaking, Poetry, and Dramatic Interpretation.
Seniors members of the speech and debate team are: Berkeley Sizemore, Jaygen Guilbeau, Nesiah Lewis and B. Pyle.
Juniors are: Daven Daniel, Mason Meeks and Blakelyn Inman. Sophomore Jaymie McCorkle is also a member of the team.
“To our wonderful students, thank you for all of your hard work, your dedication and the time you put in with the things that you all participate in,” Merideth said.
Construction of the Durant High School Ag Shop is ongoing and workers are presently working on the foundation and storm drains have been installed. Encountering rocks while digging and the rain has delayed the project 40 days and the projected completion date is Nov. 14.
A quote from TOPS in the amount of $1,259,415 for artifi cial turf for the high school football field was approved. This is being funded by additional money from a school bond that is leftover, according to Merideth.
The board approved the following new hires: Paula Joell Wiley, fourth grade teacher at Northwest Heights, a position created due to an increase in students: Helena Guidry, STEM teacher at the middle school; Donna Raile, STEM teacher at the intermediate school; Kristy Norris, third grade teacher at George Washington; Hannah Percell, computer lab assistant at George Washington; Kayla Langston, secretary at the middle school, and Shaunda Usry, activities director for the POSSE Choctaw Nation Summer School. Student Ryan West is going to be employed through the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services Transition Work Study which is a requirement for the school’s contract with the program.
The following resignations were accepted by the board: Terecia Webb, art teacher at the intermediate school (retirement); Kyndal Partin, third grade teacher at George Washington; Quashawn Gray, coach/math teacher at the high school; Sharol Coleman, secretary at the middle school (retirement); Cindy Jones, nurse assistant at Northwest Heights; Aryanna Ludlow, kindergarten teacher assistant at Washington Irving, and Sarah Thomas, special education teacher assistant at the middle school.
The board also voted on the following agenda items: - Approved a resolution to the Bryan County Excise Board for temporary appropriations for the 2024-2025 school year as required by statute.
- Approved the following contracts for the 2024-2025 school year: Kiamichi Technology math/science course instruction agreement, Kiamichi Technology transportation agreement and Interquest Detection Canines for the use of drug dogs in the school district.
- Approved memorandums of understanding for pre-employment transition services between Kiamichi Technology Center and the Vision Academy and Durant Public Schools. Merideth said these are new positions at KTC and the will work with special needs students to transform them to the workforce.
- Voted for Kiamichi Tech Health Careers Education instructor Ashley McLarry to be a certified adjunct instructor to teach the anatomy and physiology course to high school students.