The Elk City School Board started the school year on what Superintendent Mike Sparks said was a “good note” by giving a $1,500 bonus to some Elk City Public School service employees. The one-time bonus is available to all service workers, from cafeteria workers to bus drivers to paraprofessionals, who worked for ECPS last year and choose to continue working for the school system this year.
Sparks also stated that, on the first day of educators returning to the job, he emphasized that he wanted ECPS teachers to focus on the day-to-day goals for students and the school rather than the highly-politicized rhetoric coming from the Oklahoma State Department in Oklahoma City.
“We are here to be dedicated to our kids, plain and simple,” Sparks said.
The meeting was held at 6 pm on August 7 at the Elk City Board of Education.
During the superintendent’s financial report, Sparks explained to the board members that the funding that had been expected to come from the Oklahoma State Legislature came in a slightly smaller amount.
Previously, the amount was estimated to be $1.4million to cover the new teacher pay raise mandate, but was about $1.1 million.
Sparks said he did not believe this was intentional by any lawmakers, but because reaching a total amount was difficult due to some schools not participating in the funding formula plan.
He added that the amount received will only be enough to fund the pay raises.
The board voted to surplus a 2005 Bluebird Bus, 69 Apple iPad 6th Gen 32B, and one QSee NVR Recording System for security camera.
