Bartlesville Radio: The area’s best source for news, weather and sports!

The Dewey Public Schools (DPS) Board of Education hires a new Middle School Principal for the 2022-2023 school year during a meeting on Monday evening.

Superintendent Vince Vincent recommended Laurie Lee, who currently works for Dewey Public School. Vincent says they have been lucky to have her on staff. He says they have been able to get to know Lee and solidify beliefs that she is the right fit for the job.

The DPS Board of Education unanimously approved Lee to serve as the next Dewey Middle School principal. Lee will fill the role that Brent Massey has left behind as he was hired to serve as an assistant principal at Bartlesville High School. Massey is set to fill a position that Michael Harp will vacate when he ascends to principalship at BHS.

Teresa Underhill would be hired as an elementary school teacher on a temporary certified contract for the 2022-2023 school year later in the meeting.

Two resignations were approved in the personnel portion of the agenda as well. Dewey Middle School teacher and Coach Jarrod Johnson's resignation was approved. As an item of new business, Dewey High School art teacher Taryn Singleton's resignation would be approved. Singleton will complete the current school but has taken a job with an organization outside public education.

Three Thomas school buses would be purchased by the DPS Board of Education in the meeting. Superintendent Vincent says student transportation falls under the guidelines for their Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III Spending Plan funds. Vincent says they are at a point where this purchase would make a major impact on their fleet while staying within the ESSER funding budget. He says they would need to buy another bus down the road, but they are in good standing for now.

Vincent says the quoted price for all three buses that was approved came in just over $327,000. He says he anticipates the vehicles will arrive this summer and ready to go for the next school year.

Other items that were approved include:

----------

• A license agreement with OKTLE for employee evaluations for school year 2022-2023.
• A contract with ADPC for financial software services for school year 2022-2023.
• 2021-2022 audit contract and engagement letter with Bledsoe, Hewett & Gullekson.
• Revisions to the contract with Bartlesville Hope Pediatric Therapy for Speech Language Therapy Services for the remainder of the 2021-2022 school year.
• Transfer of $2,449.40 from the FFA Football Concessions to Athletics.

----------

The DPS Board of Education will reconvene in April.