Newcastle Schools’ Board of Education has been working to make repairs to the roofing that was damaged in early 2022.
They are also making decisions on helping students with counseling, bond issue projects, and they continue looking for the school’s next superintendent.
In a meeting late last year, the board approved lease-purchase agreements through Government Capital Corporation for the Coryell Roofing Lease Purchase Agreements. Coryell Construction has a roofing product that is probably like none other, according to company officials. They said their Duralast single-ply PVC membrane is hail resistant and carries a very solid hail rating. They say it will help alleviate future claims the school system could see for storm damage. The roofing is also fire retardant and energy efficient. The roofing projects are ultimately being paid from insurance money paid after the storm damage — $3.4 million the school has in its accounts.
Continuing a commitment to provide students support, the board approved a partnership with Frontline Family Solutions to provide three additional counselors. Cost of the partnership was $100,800.
Before the school can build facilities or start projects from the approved bond issue, surveying and geotechnical testing had to be done. The board approved paying for surveys, which took in all four school sites, totaling $55,800 and soil testing for $20,350.
The school’s Bond Oversight Committee reports that MA+ architects are completing their design meetings with each school site, and the school system has ordered three buses. They said two will be delivered this spring and one may be delayed until later in the summer.
After the announcement by Dr. Melonie Hau that she would be retiring this summer as superintendent at Newcastle Schools, the school board began work on finding a replacement. They started working with the Oklahoma State School Boards Association Executive Search Services in this effort. As part of this effort, the OSSBA provided an online survey which was made available online and through links on the Newcastle Schools page on Facebook. The survey concluded on January 24.
Superintendent Hau said the school has received 500 surveys returned. She said this is a huge response from the community and will provide guidance to the school board.
A special school board meeting mainly to discuss the Superintendent search was Monday at the Administrative Facilities building.
Because there wasn’t an action item listed on the agenda, no votes concerning a new superintendent was taken.
