Coaches chosen at Chouteau

Sommer Woodward

The Chouteau School Board approved a three-year contract for the superintendent, hired coaches and accepted the resignation of teachers during their meeting Thursday.

Superintendent Dr. Lisa Horn’s three-year contract from July 1, 2009, to June 30, 2012, was approved. The contract sets her salary at the same rate as the previous contract when she was hired, $95,000 per year. Board Chairman Wayne Markiewicz said the board wants to see the financial status of the school at the end of this fiscal year before considering any increase in pay. The board can renegotiate a raise for Dr. Horn at a later date if they choose.

The board hired the baseball, slow pitch softball, cross country and assistant football coaches during the meeting. The agenda didn’t include a motion to hire the football coach, although

the hiring committee has made their

recommendation.

Mark Vance is listed as the person being considered for the head football coaching position. Superintendent Horn said the board must have a special meeting Tuesday to approve temporary appropriations of insurance money from the May flooding. She said the board will likely vote to hire Vance during that meeting. Vance, who taught previously at Hulbert, is also being considered for power lifting coach, boys’ track coach and the summer football camp coach.

Josh Gwartney, who’s been teaching an outdoor / physical education elective in Catoosa, will be the new baseball head coach. He’s also taking the position as head boys’ cross country coach. Gwartney was also hired as a secondary teacher and will bring the outdoor elective to Chouteau students in the fall.

Charlie Knifechief was hired as the head girls’ slow pitch softball coach, girls’ cross country coach and girls’ summer basketball camp coach. Knifechief was hired as a secondary math teacher. He’s coming to Chouteau from Jay.

Zach George, from Kellyville, and Mark Jones, from Porter, are being hired as assistant football coaches. George was also hired as social studies teacher, and Jones was hired as an in-school detention teacher.

The board hired Amanda Vance as an elementary teacher. Horn said the school is still waiting on enrollment numbers to see what grade Vance will be

teaching.

Jamie Davis was hired as the summer girls’ basketball camp coach to run the summer program with Knifechief.

The board accepted the resignations of two former head coaches, Brent Geiger and Michael Inglett.

Geiger resigned his position as social studies teacher after much controversy over reopening the football coaching position. Geiger expressed his dissatisfaction with the board during a previous meeting. He felt the board should have not renewed each person’s coaching contract before opening up the contracts for new applicants. Geiger said he reapplied for the football head coach position to force the board to accept or reject him.

Inglett, who was head baseball coach, declined to reapply for his coaching position. He submitted his resignation as a social studies teacher this month.

The board also

accepted the resignation of George Atkins, who was employed as a painter for the school, and Jean Giesecke, who was

recently hired as a part-time counselor.

In other business:

• Dr. Horn said the school hasn’t received the insurance checks for flooding damage, which the school needs on this side of the fiscal year. She said a special meeting would be set up Tuesday to appropriate the money. She said the school should have close to $1 million in carryover funds for the next fiscal year, which is a huge increase over last year. Financially, she said the administration office is working to get all invoices paid so they can close the books on this fiscal year.

• Dr. Horn reported the school is adding a middle school alternative program during the day and changing the hours of the high school program from 3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Students can participate in the Vo-Tech program in the afternoons and then must spend at least 4 hours, 10 minutes in class four days per week. She said any students not participating in Vo-Tech must attend alternative school from 3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

• Dr. Horn said she’s working with Cherokee Nation to bring a 3-year-old Head Start program to Chouteau. The nearest Head Start program is in Pryor. Dr. Horn said the benefit to having Head Start in the Chouteau School District would be great.

• The board approved job descriptions for several positions, including building custodian, master carpenter, high school secretary, middle school secretary, elementary school secretary, high school, middle school and elementary school counselors, encumbrance clerk, treasurer, payroll clerk, activity accounts, minutes clerk, bus driver and bus mechanic.

• The contract with Summit Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Service was approved for the next fiscal year for $58 per hour.

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