Deer Creek board ratifies teacher contract, approves pay increases, event staffing, IXL study and school security work

The Deer Creek Public Schools Board of Education on Tuesday ratified a negotiated agreement with the Deer Creek Association of Classroom Teachers and approved a series of personnel and operational items, including salary-schedule adjustments, higher substitute pay, a pilot contract for event staffing at varsity football games, an agreement with IXL Learning to correlate IXL diagnostic scores with state test results, and security cabling and camera installation at Central Creek Middle School.

The board voted 4-0 to ratify the contract with the teachers' association after staff told trustees that teacher membership ratified the agreement by 99.4%. Board President Jason Perez convened the meeting; board members recorded as present included Mike Keane, Stan Green, Kelly Lane and Chris Adamson.

Why it matters: the actions approve routine and one-time operational expenditures and set compensation and staffing policies as the district opens a new middle school and begins the 2025-26 school year with an enrollment the superintendent said will exceed 8,200 students.

Key decisions and context

• Teacher contract ratified: The board ratified the negotiated agreement between Deer Creek Public Schools and the Deer Creek Association of Classroom Teachers by a 4-0 vote. Staff noted the teacher ratification vote was 99.4% in favor.

• Salary and pay-schedule changes: Trustees approved an across-the-board increase of approximately 1.8% for certified staff and approved parallel changes to noncertified and administrative pay schedules. The board also approved raising the daily substitute (guest teacher) rate to $100 per day for certified substitutes and $90 per day for noncertified substitutes, a $10-per-day increase intended to keep pay competitive with neighboring districts.

• Event staffing pilot: The board approved an agreement with LGC Associates to provide event staffing for home varsity football games as a pilot, to be paid from activity funds. Staff described the vendor as providing ticket scanning, bag checks and additional on-site monitoring to supplement, not replace, the district's security officers.

• IXL data study: Trustees approved an agreement with IXL Learning Inc. to run a correlation study that compares students' IXL Flex diagnostic math scores to Oklahoma School Testing Program (OSTP) results. Staff said the district will share student OSTP scores matched to IXL student identifiers only; staff said no additional identifying data beyond what IXL already holds will be provided.

• Security access and cameras at Central Creek Middle School: The board approved two combined quotes from DIGI Security Systems to run controlled-access cabling while the new school is under construction and to install cameras and related hardware later. The quotes were described in the meeting as a combined total of approximately $499,736.39 to be paid from 2022 bond funds.

• Consent agenda and personnel items: The board approved the consent agenda (items D1–D17) and accepted the superintendent's personnel recommendations as listed on the personnel schedule, each by 4-0 votes.

• Student transfer appeal: After an executive session to review confidential educational records under FERPA (25 O.S. § 307(B)(7)), the board returned to open session and voted 4-0 to accept the superintendent's decision to deny a student transfer request.

What trustees and staff said

Board members asked questions about the cost and scope of the event-staffing pilot, background checks for vendor staff and how staffing levels would be adjusted for larger games. Staff told trustees the vendor will comply with required background checks and employment verification and that district security staff and an Oklahoma County sheriff's deputy would remain on site at home games.

On substitute pay, district staff said the increase was chosen to raise base pay rather than create varying daily differentials, and that the district aims to remain competitive with neighboring districts.

Votes at a glance

- Consent agenda (D1–D17): approved, vote 4-0. - Ratified negotiated agreement with Deer Creek Association of Classroom Teachers: approved, vote 4-0; teacher ratification vote reported as 99.4%. - Certified pay-schedule changes: approved, vote 4-0 (approximately 1.8% across-the-board increase reported by staff). - Noncertified pay-schedule changes: approved, vote 4-0. - Administrative pay-schedule changes: approved, vote 4-0. - Change to certified guest-teacher daily rate ($100) and noncertified guest-teacher daily rate ($90): approved, vote 4-0. - Agreement with LGC Associates for event staffing (pilot for varsity football): approved, vote 4-0. - Agreement with IXL Learning Inc. to conduct a student-level data correlation study with OSTP results: approved, vote 4-0. - Two combined quotes from DIGI Security Systems for access-control cabling and camera installation at Central Creek Middle School (to be paid from bond funds): approved, vote 4-0; combined amount stated in meeting as approximately $499,736.39. - Motion to accept superintendent's denial of a student transfer request (after executive session under FERPA): approved, vote 4-0. - Personnel schedule (superintendent recommendations for employment): approved, vote 4-0.

Background and operational notes

During the superintendent's report staff said the district welcomed about 75 new teachers for the coming year, with fewer than 10 of those in their first year in the district, and that district convocation and community sponsorships marked the start of the 2025–26 year. Staff also noted completion of two 2022 bond projects (expanded cafeterias and updated kitchens) and ongoing HVAC and finishing work at the education services center. Staff reminded families to complete residency verification and free/reduced lunch applications and to have high school student IDs visible on campus.

Next steps and implementation

Staff said the event-staffing arrangement with LGC Associates will be treated as a pilot focused on football; the district will evaluate whether to continue or expand the service. For the IXL study, staff said the district will receive correlation data about how students' IXL diagnostic scores align with OSTP performance. The security cabling will be run while Central Creek Middle School is still under construction to reduce installation cost and disruption; camera installation will follow once heavy construction finishes.

Ending

All formal votes recorded in the meeting passed unanimously by recorded 4-0 tallies. The board convened to executive session on a student transfer appeal, returned to open session, and then adjourned.