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January 27, 2025

August 5, 2024

BOARD MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

STAFF REPORTS

Update on Strategic Plan – Dr. Jason Memoli, Chief of Staff

BOARD ACTIONS

The Board approved the following agenda items:

Recommendation of employment of new personnel
and reassignments
Motion regarding revision(s) of District Policy DI – Leave
Motion regarding Agreement with Laura Ganz, LLPC (“Ganz”) for
services as consultant for negotiations between Putnam City Schools, Putnam City
Association of Classroom Teachers, and Putnam City Education Support Professionals for
the 2025-2026 school year.
Motion regarding Course Description Guide for the 25-26 school
year

For a full list of Board meeting items and attachments, please view the full agenda on our website.

BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS

STEVE BURGER wished everyone a happy start to the second semester. He thanked Dr. Memoli for the update on the 5-Year Strategic Plan and is excited that our District goes through such meticulous work to keep track of our goals and efforts. He thanked Chief Stout for his Department’s tireless efforts in keeping the District safe. He encouraged everyone to vote and also wished for everyone to reach out to friends and family to vote for the upcoming Bond.

JAY SHERRILL had warm compliments to the PC legislative panel event that he attended recently. He was very impressed with the students and thanked the Legislators for attending. He thanked the District Athletics Department for locating a pool for our high school swim athletes to practice in and encouraged everyone to vote for the upcoming Bond which would start the process for bringing those resources closer to home with the new Health and Wellness Complex.

JUDY MULLEN HOPPER was excited to attend the legislative panel event and looks forward to continuing the work with the students at the State Capital later this year. She expressed her excitement over the course offerings for next year and the endless opportunities our students have in the District. She touched on the recent coverage of immigration status in the news and encouraged school administrators to review guidelines from legal and District administration in regards to how to proceed if anything affects our schools.

GAIL LOPRESTO thanked the Mr. Stinchcomb with the Putnam City Museum for putting together a book of biographies for each of the District’s Superintendents. She was thrilled for the latest legislative panel event and just marveled at how successful it was. She thanked Windsor Hills for taking their students to the Oklahoma History Center and enlightening them to such a great experience.

Meeting Date: Monday, January 27, 2025, 5pm
Location: PC Administration Building
In Attendance: Board Members: President Gail LoPresto, Steve Burger, Jay Sherrill, and Judy Mullen Hopper; Superintendent Dr. Fred Rhodes, Deputy Board Clerk Chantil Baldwin
Next meeting: Monday, February 10, 2025 5pm

PC Student Leader Opens Board Meeting

At each Board Meeting, we incorporate high school student leaders to open the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and Moment of Silence. This tradition is guided by our District's mission statement of empowering students to achieve personal success and enrich the community.

Tonight's student leader was John Echeverria Centeno, Putnam City High School senior. John is also enrolled at Francis Tuttle, where he is pursuing his future goals in engineering. John is also very active in the fine arts as a drummer. Further, John is a PCH AF JROTC group commander. John plans to attend the University of Oklahoma, where he will major in electrical engineering. John has also been selected as a cadet for a JROTC Flight Academy program this summer earning his pilot's license.

SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT

We recently held the annual PC Legislative Day, which was probably the best ever! For the first time, we featured student emcees—one from each of our high schools: Queenie Henderson (PC North), Jasmine Medina (PC High), and Esme Munoz (PC West). They did an outstanding job leading the event with confidence and professionalism.

Additionally, ten students from each high school participated by asking thoughtful and meaningful questions to our panel of legislators. The questions focused on issues deeply relevant to students’ lives, providing an incredible opportunity for them to engage with democracy in action. Topics discussed included diversity, equity, and inclusion, teacher shortages and salaries, HB 1017 (class size), HB 1775 (critical race theory), and vouchers. Some of these topics sparked friendly and productive debates among the legislators, further enriching the experience for our students.

We would like to express our gratitude to the PC Foundation for sponsoring this event, the JROTC for greeting and escorting the legislators, the Human Capital office for organizing, and the Secondary office for preparing and guiding the students. It was truly a team effort, and its impact on our students was immeasurable.

Secondly, we are thrilled to congratulate Audree Elder, a PC North junior, on being selected for the ballot for State Officer of FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America). Audree recently visited Career Tech headquarters in Stillwater, where she was interviewed, tested on FCCLA knowledge, and presented a speech as part of the selection process for an FCCLA state officer position. She is one of 16 contenders vying for a position on the 10-person team. We are incredibly proud of Audree and wish her the best of luck as she continues this exciting journey!

Finally, we are just 14 days away from the 2025 Innovation Bond voting day, which is February 11 (the week of Valentines Day). This community-driven bond represents a pivotal moment in our District's history. It is an opportunity to boldly invest in the future of our students by fostering innovation and ensuring they have the resources to succeed in a rapidly changing world. Please don’t forget to make your voice heard—VOTE on February 11! And remember, this bond will NOT raise taxes. For more information on the District and individual school site projects, visit our Bond website at putnamcityschools.org/2025bond.

-Dr. Fred Rhodes

DISTRICT DATES & EVENTS

February 3- Site Professional Day, No School, Staff Reports

February 17- Asynchronous Day, Students Virtual/Staff on Site

HAPPENING AROUND PC

2025 Innovation Bond Vote, February 11, 2025

The 2025 Innovation Bond Special Bond Election is set for February 11, 2025.

Please mark your calendars to vote and boldly invest in our future of PC Schools the week of Valentine's Day!

To learn more about the exciting projects included in the Bond for each school and districtwide, visit our 2025 Bond website at putnamcityschools.org/2025bond

Legislator Panel

Students from all three high schools took the opportunity to directly ask a panel of legislators about the issues impacting their schools and Oklahoma's education system. From funding concerns to the nation’s current political climate, it was a powerful conversation about the future of education. Thank you to the legislators who took the time to engage with our students.

Teddy Bear Clinic

Putnam City Pre-K students visited Francis Tuttle for the 2nd Annual Teddy Bear Clinic! They learned how doctors care for patients by bringing their stuffed animals in for checkups—complete with teddy bear heartbeats, x-rays, and splints!

PC IN THE NEWS

Big Decisions Ahead!

At Putnam City Schools, We're Not Afraid to Innovate

PC Proud

PCN Student Runs for State Officer Position

PCN Junior, Audree Elder, is officially on the ballot for an FCCLA State Officer Position! Students from across the state will converge at the FCCLA State Convention and vote in April. Audree recently traveled to Oklahoma CareerTech Headquarters in Stillwater where she interviewed, tested on FCCLA, and presented a speech for a FCCLA State Officer position. We are very proud of Audree and wish her the best in this endeavor. Way to represent, Putnam City!

INFORMATION & REMINDERS

New District Family Calendar Now Available

New District calendars focused only on the information our families need are now available! Click here to access the calendars in English and Spanish.

Putnam City Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, identity, national origin, age, marital or veteran status, or disability. Translations are completed by Google Translate.