001Okay. Call this meeting to order. It's our regular uh meeting Tuesday, March 24th, 2026. Here we are. our second time in our new Tal Education Center. This feels good. It's felt so strange last month. >> And how nice it is that we have a room full of students that don't have to stand in the parking lot to be able to talk. >> So, item A, call to order, uh, recording of members present and We are all here today. And then we have the uh pledge of allegiance and we have a Cherokee couple of Cherokee students Emmy Nemo and James or Justin. >> He's watching you want to come up. Mrs. Nemo's going to read a little biographical information about >> I think she knows you pretty well. This is Emmy Foy Nemo. She's in second
002grade at Cherokee in Miss Hicks class. Her parents are myself, Chrissy, and Jed Nemo. Her siblings are James and Maddie Nemo. Her hobbies are basketball, softball, piano, drawing, reading, Taylor Swift, and taking care of her ducks, Molly and Oilia. And when I filled this out, I gave it to Emmy because I wrote it all down and asked her if there was anything else. And she said that I should likes time with her family as well. >> I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Turn around. >> Put that down. Take one more. Okay, we have item B. Tigers Roar. And I think we've got some band students here. The all district band honors and second round
003all state and Mrs. >> Lel Spires. Yes. >> Hi, I'm Lel Spires and this is Gustavo Martinez. He's one of our main directors as well. And these are some of our students that have been doing some things this year. And I'm going to we had I'll tell you we had 20 high school band members. They couldn't all come. Uh that main district honor band this year. We had nine that qualified for second round all states. Um and then we had solo and ensembles uh kids that they play uh with their friends or they play by themselves and they go to districts and some of them made one are going to go on to states and some of them are here. Um and then also we have two kids that are doing some specific things that
004I'll let them share with you. just introduce these are districts. >> My name is Jason. >> My name is Austin. My name is Eric. My name is >> my name is I also >> introduce yourself. And David, you also got >> state. Sarah, if you would step over please and explain the other thing that you have done this. >> So I made these symphony in Tulsa. So every Sunday I go there for like two hours and we host three concerts. We have our Christmas concert, our alumni homecoming concert, and our spring. So, that's a little extra thing I do. >> And she brought a program. You want to give them one of your programs? >> I only have two. I'm sorry. >> I can make them copies. >> Sarah, how many clarinets are in the
005symphony? >> We have a total of like I'm in the concert orchestra, but I'm second. >> Yes. >> And then we have CJ CJ, tell us about my name. I'm resistance only last week. >> That's indoor drum line and he's the first he's the first student that I know of that has done that. >> That's all we have for you. >> Yeah, very impressive. There we go. Behind us. >> There we go. Don't step on their feet. >> Now the duet. What was it you played? >> Chrombone. with >> David. >> Yeah. >> That was impressive. Thank you. >> Make sure he was in order. >> I kept thinking that was you. >> Good to see you. to be heard. >> Item D, discussion and vote to approve the minutes for previous meetings and it
006was the February 17th, 2026 regular meeting. >> Okay, I'll second. >> Any discussion? >> Mrs. Nemo, >> Dr. I bet you all order ever sold. >> I'm going to have >> Dr. Hi, >> Mrs. and I ready. We need you. >> I know. I feel like I should turn this this turn it. It's all right. The bank balance for the end of February was 23,872,965.3. Receipts for general fund for the month of February were $4,44,92141. Building fund receipts were 1,67,800 $286.93. Sinking fund 371,55789. That brings general fund for the end of February to 12,548,23651. Building fund 6,81,1216 Bond funds 977,698. Sinking fund 2,461,418.50 activity fund for the end of February was 1,223,6349. >> I'm always amazed by the activity fun much And it typically fundraising >> the utilities. So the electric from last February to
007this February was $14,72.84 less. >> Wow. To make it for less money. >> Exactly. >> Water was 443.95 less. Gas was $1,557 more. >> That's no biggie. >> That's not a motion. I don't think I read it. >> You didn't. >> So, this was the um point that out to me when I make a mistake. >> Okay. >> Item E was the deputy treasurer report and discussion and we are going to vote to approve the monthly financials. So, I have a motion. I'll make that motion second. We have a second. Any discussion on the money? Uh I am impressed that we keep our balance keeps rising and in spite of the fact that so do bills. >> Yes. And keep in mind that's not what we have encumbered, >> right? So that's not our general
008fund balance. >> It's what we Yes. Before before we pay bills for the rest of the year, >> right? Correct. >> But it's still looking still like that was >> that's actually the carryover is what I'm talking about. What bills do we have to pay from that still? >> Well, so from that anything that we have encumbered is not that. So like the rest of payroll um for the rest of the year is not out of that or open POS we have for anything in general fund is not counted in that. However, we still are very on track for what we want um for the end of the year >> or above. >> There's two things that we're looking at. We look at what the bank balances are and then I do a different Google
009sheet for me and her to look at that shows like where we are with carryover because you have to look at POS that are encumbered at the time and then money that you're still waiting to collect and so you have to kind of change those numbers every month and what you tell me the collections that we were waiting on >> still a few million dollars in collections that we have not. So like last year, you know, that's why we had a healthier carryover than we expected because we overcolcted by the end. >> Right now we are not to that. So we're not we've not underolcted. It's just not all been collected. They're not behind. But we don't know will it will it underolct? Will it overcolct? But if where we are right now, we will
010have more than we anticipated, which is good for some extra expenses that we'll have the next year with all the grants rolling off. But also good Our intention was to look at some other type of incentive for our employees if we had a healthy carryover um in July >> and last year was around what six million in year >> we looking good for the faculty to be able to give some bonuses. Okay. Any other further discussion? Mrs. Nemo. >> Hi. >> Dr. Everol. >> Hi. >> Dr. Hi, >> Mrs. Crawford. >> And I item F, superintendent report. >> So, at this time, we have 3,544 students and 507 employees. Um, 180 students are being served some some capacity at Sequoia. Uh, 43 Cherokee, 496 at Greenwood, 479 at Heritage, 709 at the middle school, and
0111,242 at the high school. And I would venture to guess it feels like double than that um right now in the end of school if I remember. Uh we are updating the capacity uh later on in the agenda like we have to per law. And so right now we have zero openings for transfers for the remainder of the year. Um Just a few updates on projects. The education service center obviously uh again said second meeting already feels a little bit better than the first because the first wheel had the giggles and we couldn't figure out how to get them out. So yeah, we we do we have some things that we have decorated in that have our um our motto up. Uh the auditorium should be complete by April 22nd. We are planning a grand
012opening for the entire facility with the Chamber of Commerce on April 23rd at 11. Um so at the 22nd >> Well, that's why I put April 22nd. I'm giving it right to the very last second. It should actually be before that. We're good. We ran into a little bit of issue with the carpet. This carpet ended up going to be very backorded. It was going to be the exact same print. So said, "Give me some other varieties that would get here faster that are still attractive." So we have a backup. We'll see which one gets here first and they'll do that. And they don't want to put the handrail on until the carpet's down. So they don't have to remove the carpet. So we're really at a standstill for probably two weeks. Um so not
013much going on, but everything else is complete in there. Uh central roof. There is a contract on here this month to re-roof the central gym. Um which it was not really on our our our game card for this year, but had to happen um because it is It's it's leaking past. It's not patchable. It's not fixable and it will ruin. We still use that facility every day and so it had to be fixed. Um but that will begin as soon as the contract is signed tonight. Um furniture. So with the bond money that we have received and now we're working on through pretty much every day, every minute of every day, uh we will be putting in a large furniture order this week for the middle school. Um middle school it's to every classroom furniture
014will be replaced. Uh high school will have 15 classrooms replaced and a few other random items through that and then we are looking at the fifth grade level for the elementary and then you know we have a yearly amount for the next 17 years. Uh so then we will start dividing that up and just making sure that we are going through all of it and then in 17 years you'd cycle back through and do it again I would assume. So uh on that plan um as we speak. Uh so to be completed by August of 26 as of right now um we will begin Talqua Middle School bathroom renovations. Uh fingers crossed they'll be finished before school starts, but we'll see. Um bleachers will begin probably not till the fall. We might have to do
015one side and then the other side. And that's a material availability thing. things just don't you can't just get things very quickly anymore. Uh we will begin the Sequoia playground renovation and I've told Misty I said if all else fails if we have to be with a pickaxe out there taking the asphalt off on the north side it's going to be gone so we might have a pickaxe party but and then we will have grass at least on one side. Um heritage canopies ought to be able to be done this summer. Um we are planning for the ths some flooring and the locker removal um to be done. Um that sorry to the people we're working with is a I will believe it when I see it still type of thing but we are working
016towards that. U some of the PAC mechanical upgrades will be done because we have already canceled some of the things that we typically have in that center and I do not want to do I will not do that two summers in a row. So we will figure that out. Um to the track resurfacing, we will wait until the fall because uh a we'll get a better price because it's a bit out of season. We want to be able to just have to stay off of it for a couple weeks and it's not something we use readily to track in the fall. Um complete by August of 27, we will have the fieldhouse, bleachers with concessions, bathrooms, the TMS band room and storm shelter cafe expansion and exterior renovations would be complete. Uh next summer we
017would do the renovations at Cherokee and Greenwood in the hallways. So they would be complete for that next school year. Obviously we can't start the STEM center until the fieldhouse is finished. So then that would begin, but we would expect that that would be ready by the second semester of that next school year. That also would have the new wrestling room attached to that. And then all those moves have a domino effect of other things that we would be creating like a palm room. um for the high school for the first time, some locker rooms for other sports that do not have any. We're just taking old spaces and remodeling them to repurpose them. Um so there's equity across uh all those sports. Some celebrations, we received a TET grant. Lacy worked with uh uh
018the our AR architect and our CM came out and she had a week was it was it was like a week to throw this T set grant together and we received it. So it's $200,000 to remodel uh Squa High School cafeteria. So pieces of that will also begin this summer and then some would happen the second year. So it's kind of divided into a two-year process. Um you also have a calendar um update on two of your items tonight. The first one is this year's calendar and we decided to update it to reflect the snow days that we missed and we always wait till now to make sure there was no other random snow. Um, also next year's when we adopted next year's calendar, we guessed on what we thought the homecoming date would be
019and so we just had a placeholder, but it actually will be October 2nd. So, we just have to change the calendar to reflect that correct date. We will be putting in late start Fridays um next year uh for the elementary and the middle school. That will not have any um negative effect on parents if they see that as a negative effect. Buses will run at the same time. Students will be able to be dropped off at the same time. But if you want to keep your babies home a little bit longer on Friday morning, they can sleep in. You can go by the local doughnut shop, support a community shop, and then bring them a little bit later. But um as we have discussed, we know it's the next step that these ladies need to
020be able to use their data to actually change instruction and achievement. Um we need the time. So um it will be used wisely, that it will be very structured and we expect that it is going to be the next thing that moves us in the right direction. Child nutrition, uh they served 81,68 meals in 19 days in February and they up >> with a positive >> with a little bit of positive. Take it. >> So, positive $2,89527. It's still positive. I like it. >> U wanted to say a special thank you. Uh Car and I attended the Cherokee Nation Public School Appreciation Day today. Better known I guess as the tag money. Um so they today they awarded 7.26 26 million to school districts across the reservation from tribal car tech sales. Uh Cherokee County
021received 1.24 million of that and TPS received almost half a million dollars. Um that was a lot larger uh check than we received last year. So I was extremely surprised in trying to hold myself together. >> I never saw her move so fast she ran out >> and I said something And if it wasn't on that, I would say what I said out loud. But I was really afraid the wind was going to blow it away. So I was holding on to it really, really tight with both hands, even though my dress was maybe going to be a problem that I had that check. So we thought that was more important than the dress at that moment. Um, but I just want to thank Cherokee Nation for that. Thank tribal citizens for going to get
022their tags from them. Thank you. You know, they are investing money back into public education. They're really putting their money where their mouth is when they talk about that. And so uh that that is money that we use for onetoone technology for technology in the classrooms and for other tech that we need. Now we end up spending more than that but I cannot imagine if we did not have that >> you know um that would be a huge huge problem for TPS. So very very appreciative for that. So just wanted to give a shout out to everyone that makes that happen. I remember when the first reports when we first started getting this money it was like 200,000 250,000 so it's just amazing and I should definitely give a shout out to Chris Ray and
023Heather Taylor you know they work at their Native American student advocate and director and that's all about making sure we have kids counted correctly shout out to Victorian enrollment if we don't know those babies and we have not made sure that we have documented uh tribal citizenship correctly then they would not be counted and and that is how that happened. So it's a process but we are extremely thankful uh for that uh investment in our school district. So thank you. Um upcoming dates uh April 3rd and 6th we have no school for students but we will have a PD day for uh staff on the 6th for teachers. Um April 9th uh thank you for being flexible. We had to change that special board meeting but April 9th is the special board meeting and will
024be to do um some staffing and to uh do the GMP for the fieldhouse concession uh bathrooms, all that project. Um we need to get that started to make our timeline. So, thank you for agreeing, you know, to come in and do that so we can get it done and not wait till the end of the month because the April board meeting is until the 21st. Again, mentioned the 23rd. That's our grand opening at 11. I'd love for you guys to be here if you possibly can. We're we're trying to conjure up some experience um that people will remember. Just to say thank you to everyone that's been such a big part of this. On April 28th, we have the honor grad lunchon and um we will reach out to you, see if you would
025like to come or you're able to attend that day. It's always a good day to u watch our our top 30 3% of our of our graduating class. They are impressive when you read what it is that they have accomplished in that. Uh so I love that day. Um and that chamber of commerce also uh makes that happen. Uh April 28th in the afternoon that day we have our teacher of the year and retirey reception uh here in this building at 4. Um just want to remind everyone staff appreciation week is the 4th through the 8th. And so appreciate your people appreciate and all the hard work that you guys do. Um May 18th, uh Monday morning, May 18th, because we did not need those snow days at the end will be our accent on
026excellence ceremony. And then we'll have the May board meeting on May 19th. And that's about as far as I figured you guys wanted to think about at this moment. So that is the end of my report. >> Okay. Item G, discussion and vote to approve the following surplus and I have a motion. I'll make a motion. Any discussion broken chair specific to be specific specific writing. Goldilocks. >> Goldilocks. Goldilocks. >> Mrs. Nemo. >> Hi, >> Dr. Ever. >> Hi, >> Dr. >> Mrs. Crawford. And I H discussion and vote to approve the following bids and quotes. And this is the roofing bid. the central gym. >> You want to talk about that price? >> Yes, we can. >> 276,959 >> and it will actually be a little bit cheaper than that. Um, that was the
027bid with a special coding that they thought we might have to have for code and we have found out that we do not have to have that and so it drops the price about $50,000 >> which is a win. >> Drop. >> Okay. I had a motion Nemo second. >> Okay. >> Any further discussion? >> Mrs. Nemo. >> Hi. >> Dr. Hi. >> Coughlin and Mrs. Crawford. >> Hi. >> Item I business items consent docket vote to approve the following. This is one through six. Four. 1 through any discussion. >> Well, we just voted for that, but it's on here again. So, we're just getting a contract. >> Yes. When was the contract? >> Okay. Okay. >> Any further discussion? Mrs. Nemo. Hi. Dr. I >> Dr. Coffman >> I >> Mrs. Crawford >> and
028I >> item J discussion and vote to approve the schedule of incumbences to approve second any discussion >> Mrs. Nemo >> Dr. Ir. >> Mrs. Crawford and I Item K, discussion and vote to approve the revised 202526 school calendar due to snow days. Motion >> I'll make a second discussion. >> And again like just discussed all we're doing is editing that to reflect the dates that we know. >> Mrs. Nemo. >> Hi. >> Dr. I >> Dr. Coffman. Hi. >> Mrs. And I item L, discussion and vote to approve the revised 202627 school calendar due to the homecoming day to approve. >> Second discussion further. What was that date? October. >> October 2nd. Um and that changed the homecoming date also changed the parent teacher conference because we always pair that. >> So October 1st
029would be the parent conference in the evening and then staff would have a few hours of conferences that morning. Um but kids would be off that's a spring. Uh I do want to point so that changed that on that calendar. Uh our spring parent teacher conference is aligned next year with the red fern festival and so that was uh what purposeful for the community because then our kids will be off on Friday and we have the red fern and people can get out and enjoy the things that are sitting. Did I get a motion for that? >> Yes. >> All right. Ready to vote. >> Mrs. Dr. >> I >> and me I >> trying to move on. >> Uh item M discussion and vote to approve the revision of the follow following policy and
030this is what you were referring to in the student transfer. >> Yes. >> For the fourth court required by law to get motion. I'll second it. Any further discussion? Mrs. Nemo. >> Hi, >> Dr. Soul. >> I, >> Dr. Coffman, >> I Mrs. Crawford and I, item N motion and vote to approve the following personnel items. And I think this is the one that is one through six with under employment. The following names are included. Isaac Kaufman, maintenance. Frederick Chapman, transportation bus driver. Jesse Downey, speech pathology, pending certification. Bennett sped teacher pending certific and Zion Bryant Carter partad. I made the motion. So >> I second. Any discussion? >> I I do want to uh just point out this is the time of the year when we start seeing on here and we do have
031someone in the room. Um, Miss Yant is on the resation, not resation, retirement. She is decided it's time to go and just enjoy life and just want to thank you publicly for all that you have done for Central. Um, you guys have done some amazing things with kids and the things that have happened there that have made a difference for kids and kept them in school and kept their life going. I mean quite frankly, you know, um and so thank you and we hope that you enjoy doing something fun. >> Mrs. Nemo, >> I Mrs. And I item O. Do we have any new business? >> Item P. We are now.