Guthrie board approves routine contracts, committee rosters and safety plan; hears dropout and remediation report

GUTHRIE, Okla. ' The Guthrie Public Schools Board of Education on Sept. 8 approved a slate of routine business including construction change orders and contract renewals, ratified committee memberships for the 2025-26 school year, and approved the district's Chase Morris sudden cardiac arrest response plan. The board also received a presentation on the district's seventh-through-12th-grade dropout report and a college remediation summary for students who attended Oklahoma public institutions.

Board President Bentley Ward called the meeting to order and the board voted unanimously on a set of motions that included ratifying contingency and owner change orders for Crossland Construction Company, renewing service contracts, approving committee memberships and personnel actions. "We currently have 3,523 students enrolled in the district, which is 19 more than last year," said James Hancock, executive director of personnel and secondary education, during the presentation on enrollment and dropouts.

The dropout report covered students in grades 7-12 and a small number of students beyond grade 12. Hancock said the district recorded a total cohort of 1,485 students in the dropout review window and that 65 chose not to return to school last year. Of the group, 232 completed graduation requirements, a handful exited to other schools or adult training programs and 41 were counted as dropouts under the district's reporting method. On college remediation, Hancock said 66 Guthrie graduates enrolling in Oklahoma public institutions were included in the state data set; 4.5% were placed into remedial English (state…