Broken Arrow board approves one-time 2% Christmas stipend for district employees

The Broken Arrow Board of Education voted to approve a one-time 2% Christmas stipend for district employees, citing available funds and concern about families affected by recent federal funding uncertainty. The board moved and seconded the measure and approved it by roll call.

Superintendent Chuck Perry described the stipend as both a retention and relief measure. “These stipends are a sign that we value our staff… it's an impact that's felt in their checkbooks at the right time of the year before Christmas,” Perry said.

Board members discussed whether the district’s cash flow could cover the expense if federal funding were delayed. Finance staff told the board the district’s cash flow and fund balance can cover the one-year stipend and that only routine change orders in December were expected to affect cash flow. The board’s motion was presented as a single-year measure "for this year only."

The board made and seconded the motion during superintendent communications; the roll call vote recorded members voting in favor (Missus Taylor, Doctor Roulette, Mr. Cockrell, Mr. Allen). No formal amendment or follow-up reporting schedule was directed at the meeting.

The board did not attach a multi-year commitment to the stipend; the item was explicitly framed as a one-time action tied to current district circumstances.