[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6476092,"mediaKeyId","5731428-8445b47937c8cfc7f9e92b30f753348f","parentId",5731428,"title","Votes at a glance: Poteau School Board approves routine contracts, policies, fundraisers, personnel actions","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",873000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5731428-8445b47937c8cfc7f9e92b30f753348f&start=873&end=873","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5731428-8445b47937c8cfc7f9e92b30f753348f/thumbnail_873000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6476092/POTEAU/School-Districts/Oklahoma/Votes-at-a-glance-Poteau-School-Board-approves-routine-contracts-policies-fundraisers-personnel-actions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6476092-1fc9d60b250c8ca65c2fc0575ab41ae2/orig.mp4?Expires=1773610490&Signature=ReFAQq-rc-QSdFY8YsoiUmH9zUAOY4JvMESfPa4v-wsDSbeg4nvxi~890Rv2olG5uwYKdVEhf8ML0fTJArD291apmMwDbFcF3MiFJJFdHF0KsBw2UZ2ShI96S1q4pKKLU7SKtLjIRbSaBIWOxlZ5g0IDHEzLYTkl8pyqDTk2q39OPhKg1pRq8euh6ihTQ0eLTDGsPmoTRidGfIp7bLxh3tN2AH3di1RLU2eE9KVCTZ0e2~9jkyUfqsw0BO6TopgI1LFHa10NBgHGjfyCFBTVgjWtvrY3N6KPGPzS1IJ5cMNI0THjQ35G9MSu4AFP528s3QB3M1F6wD3pzVkZh-jS6Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Poteau High School","date","2025-09-08T22:59:24Z","article","The Poteau Public Schools Board of Education took a series of routine votes on consent and business items, approving minutes, the district’s estimate of needs, contracts, fundraisers, policies, and personnel actions.

Items the board approved (motions and roll‑call outcomes recorded at the meeting): minutes and financial reports; the district’s estimate of needs for FY 2025–26; the capital improvement plan (see separate coverage); addition of junior‑high slow‑pitch softball stipends; a work‑study program in cooperation with the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services; a student pay program to compensate students for broadcasting high‑school extracurricular events; a slate of board policy updates including revisions for support‑staff evaluations and an epinephrine policy addition; annual authorization of purchasing agents (Valerie Martin, CFO); creation and splitting of soccer activity accounts and a package of activity fundraisers for 2025–26; approval of several out‑of‑state trips (FFA to Arkansas/Oklahoma State Fair; fifth‑grade symphony; sixth‑grade basketball game in Fort Smith); approval of the local advisory committee on gifted education; renewal and approval of a set of recurring contracts and agreements (including Medicaid billing software and e‑rate support); approval of surplus items; acceptance of four resignations; and the employment of two staff members pending certification.

Where the meeting record identified numeric outcomes, roll calls recorded unanimous support from members present. Several items were described in the meeting packet as annual or recurring approvals. No item in this package was tabled or failed on a recorded vote.

Personnel actions approved by the board included accepting resignations from Tony Williams (maintenance technician); Bridalg Hopkins (primary custodian); Jessica Rivera (paraprofessional); and Diane Tillery (assistant superintendent). The board also approved employment of Martha Martinez as primary custodian and Taylor Didway as special education tier‑2 specialist pending certification.

Contracts and recurring agreements approved included Medicaid billing software services (PCG), E‑rate support (Kellogg and Sovereign), custodial training/services (Treat Solutions), driver drug‑management services (5 Bar Clearing Services), internship cooperation with Northeastern State University, a free curriculum package (Amira), an MOU with Save the Children Head Start, an insurance supplemental arrangement (NBS), and renewal of PandaDoc for special‑education e‑signatures. First National Bank was noted as a sponsor of employee recognition gift cards.

All votes referenced in this roundup were taken by roll call and recorded as affirmative for the items summarized. Where specific motion text, mover, or second were not captured verbatim in the transcript, the board’s actions are summarized as “approve” with outcomes recorded as approved.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Education Meeting 6:00P.M. September 8, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At its meeting the Poteau Public Schools Board approved minutes, financial reports, an estimate of needs, a series of contracts and recurring agreements, activity fundraisers and trips, policy updates, and several personnel actions including resignations and hires.","taxTitle","POTEAU, School Districts, Oklahoma","taxId",70068,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6476096,"Superintendent reports slight enrollment uptick, Poteau Virtual Academy reaches 81 students; state testing changes under review",556,2390000,2946000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5731428-8445b47937c8cfc7f9e92b30f753348f&start=2390&end=2946","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5731428-8445b47937c8cfc7f9e92b30f753348f/thumbnail_2390000.jpg","/articles/6476096/POTEAU/School-Districts/Oklahoma/Superintendent-reports-slight-enrollment-uptick-Poteau-Virtual-Academy-reaches-81-students-state-testing-changes-under-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6476096-4692503b4e52578d8ce1ecf2c1210810/orig.mp4?Expires=1773610490&Signature=hRE89OUYNfhsLg7UYW1Ii~tT45c0olmiY5~pCtIpwRE3tIFg3f9R7htayqkDnN34iwSu-GIgp8NJLD1OJDaxhL43Gra8Ssrl2HGKKY2FfeJzrdLYFFlnnUlljjGP6mypBVHZMNLAVlkJay3rwYto08GsTStazYtNY5mUMEjD5C0XYF8mLvJv6YNaOZhP~OgFQxBu94IahgKFEut~qJOmnPKfBeQ~HTqsWiLPlp5z31dZFFuxcEQV79nWeeoy3xjr4xRuENz1LSC1L3Zgbj5mIVD8hkKxQMe3n0i0tjk8FmYDKqpA4QTb79WMYu5Xv0NLcf2BFAVfWyrHKBKkA5sB6g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","During the superintendent’s report the district presented preliminary (non‑official) enrollment counts, early results from the Poteau Virtual Academy (PVA), and a summary of a state proposal to change statewide testing vendors.

Administrators said last year’s October 1 official count was 2,139 students. District staff reported informal current counts of roughly 2,150 students — about 10–15 students higher than last year — and said official counts will be certified on Oct. 1. The superintendent cautioned the board that midterm adjustments may affect state funding if enrollment trends shift later in the year.

Miss Brand reported on the Poteau Virtual Academy, saying it serves an average of 25–40 students daily and currently has 81 enrolled students total. Staff also said the program brought 29 transfer students back into the district. Brand described PVA as an in‑district, supervised option where students use study spaces and receive in‑person help, not solely an at‑home program.

On state testing, the board heard that Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters had proposed moving away from a single summative testing contractor toward “off‑the‑shelf” benchmark assessments for grades 3–8 reading, ELA and math. District staff said this approach could allow districts to choose among approved vendors and to use results for instruction and remediation; they added science likely will remain on the contracted summative test and that work on a writing assessment was ongoing. Staff said districts should expect vendor lists by Dec. 1 and that federal consultation would continue.

The superintendent also noted external recognitions and donations: Renata Adams was recognized at the Oklahoma State School Boards Association (OSSBA) event and OSSBA donated $400 to the district in her honor. The Choctaw Nation donated $5,863.45 to Poteau Public Schools; staff said those funds are split across activity accounts and disbursed annually.

No formal board action was taken on testing at this meeting; the state proposal is expected to evolve as public comment and federal discussions continue.","Superintendent and staff reported a modest enrollment increase from last year, updates on the Poteau Virtual Academy’s early enrollment and daily participation, and summarized a proposed Oklahoma shift to vendor‑selected benchmark assessments that could change spring testing practices.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6476100,"Poteau board approves multi‑year capital improvement plan, prioritizes gym HVACs and accelerated land-note payoff",449,991000,1440000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5731428-8445b47937c8cfc7f9e92b30f753348f&start=991&end=1440","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5731428-8445b47937c8cfc7f9e92b30f753348f/thumbnail_991000.jpg","/articles/6476100/POTEAU/School-Districts/Oklahoma/Poteau-board-approves-multiyear-capital-improvement-plan-prioritizes-gym-HVACs-and-accelerated-land-note-payoff","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6476100-161e8e901b77753816c8ffb121af3f45/orig.mp4?Expires=1773610490&Signature=gKa4OXOO5RMc15-oQ3nwPXGZeEzuU9UlyimpEXbLVtgvfYK599wnMPPFfA36ZjoEd5CLFRDBPWZKQI06FfUvy-8qEoP3L2~hRZH8YeW5O5VPuSEVMJ5ynCgiSjL6zzOp7eMfvRfTFFIdzkG1vnxXP~3hAfjsjNDV9~dle2UlkJQJ35a-GjCSx4QlSkfPg0vsWxFF-0-h5IHWQ2QKQufbtK59oahGREnCKe2-oDbL0g9~Zndi4ZM~L9rrMN6fPwMLZb5~qLnHylbWbnyVwGUnoeJWY6F6p9ZBBFUXZLru7NYkhJL6tSVO-pIq7M8PMZm1H-RcyCEyKvmeaxaBfBUOKw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Poteau Public Schools Board of Education on an evening vote approved a multi‑year capital improvement plan that schedules gym HVAC installations across the district and accelerates repayment of a recently purchased $1.5 million tract of land.

Board President Renata Adams and district staff presented a prioritized list developed by a 12‑member capital improvement committee that includes representatives from each school site and the board president. Superintendent and staff said the plan is updated twice yearly after a facilities tour and a survey ranking needed projects.

The plan calls for roughly $1,500,000 in building‑fund expenditures in fiscal year 2026, staff said, and a four‑year program to add HVAC systems to every gym in the district. The administration told the board it planned to pay $600,000 toward the $1.5 million land note immediately and the remaining $395,000 in the spring to save about six months of interest. Staff said the district also plans to pay roughly $400,000 a year on a separate $2 million note to reduce principal faster and lower annual interest costs.

Board members discussed the committee’s facility tour approach and the color‑coded priority list used to schedule work from fiscal 2025 through 2029. Staff emphasized that items marked yellow on the plan have already been accomplished and that white items are lower priority and not scheduled this cycle. The presentation noted some carryover from previous years and said the board will revisit the plan at its spring meeting.

The board approved the capital improvement plan by roll call. No amendments to the plan were offered during the discussion.

The facilities director later reported progress on HVAC work at a campus described as “Pansy Kid,” saying the system can now deliver air into that building and the contractor had presented lower‑cost options for air distribution. The facilities report also noted two new route buses were on the lot awaiting CAN bus and DVR installation.

The board’s action moves a set of high‑priority infrastructure projects into the district’s funded plan and pairs those projects with an aggressive debt‑paydown strategy staff described as intended to reduce future interest payments.","The Poteau Public Schools Board approved a multi‑year capital improvement plan that prioritizes installing HVAC systems in district gyms and accelerating payoff of a recently purchased $1.5 million parcel, with the board agreeing to higher near‑term building fund spending to reduce long‑term interest costs.","actionData","errors"]

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Votes at a glance: Poteau School Board approves routine contracts, policies, fundraisers, personnel actions

Superintendent reports slight enrollment uptick, Poteau Virtual Academy reaches 81 students; state testing changes under review

Poteau board approves multi‑year capital improvement plan, prioritizes gym HVACs and accelerated land-note payoff