Pryor School Superintendent Don Raleigh recently gave an update of progress on the Pryor school bond projects.

Construction is in progress at Lincoln Elementary School.

Raleigh said the school

system initially planned to add eight classrooms to the elementary school. Because bid prices on the construction were so low, the school put in for the four additional classrooms needed.

The cost for all 12 classrooms came in on bid, said Raleigh. The school will be able to have 12 classrooms for the estimated cost of eight.

Raleigh said Lincoln Elementary will have six classrooms in each pod. The school included white boards and sound systems in the cost.

“We put everything we could think of in the bid,” Raleigh said.

Raleigh said the plans are to have a separate bus loop for pickup and dropoff.

The gym for Roosevelt Elementary came in $500,000 under the anticipated cost. The school had planned on building a metal gym, but the building will now be block construction.

High school upgrades include four new science labs and a remodel of the three existing ones. Renovations to the high school, which was built in 1971, also include a sprinkler system in the entire building and secured vestibules.

Junior high bids will follow, along with roof bids for the maintenance building and

auditorium.

Lighting has been upgraded in all four elementary schools. Installation of heating and air controls is expected to be completed by Christmas break. Raleigh said the new lighting is saving energy, “every day, every minute they’re on.”

Raleigh said intial work on the upgrades for the Jefferson and Washington heating and air systems is underway.

The school did upgrades in “a major overhaul” to the original lighting system at Pryor High School Auditorium. Technology is also being upgraded at the auditorium.

Raleigh said Pryor Schools has been able to put a Smart Board in almost every classroom through stimulus funding or bond money.

In professional development, Raleigh said he is asking

teachers to get training as they acquire classroom technology, “so it’s not being hung on a coat rack.”

Raleigh said the school is working on cafeteria upgrades.

“We’ve got a dishwasher that was put in in 1950,” he said. “I didn’t even know they had dishwashers in 1950.”

Raleigh said a good portion of students are taking advantage of the school’s breakfast meals.

Raleigh said state aid cuts to Pryor Schools totaled $115,000 through the month of November. Raleigh said that figure does not include line item cuts, or cuts for the month of December.

Raleigh has been in contact with a legislative committee, who informed him the school system may see a $400,000 cut next year.

The science, tech-

nology, engineering and math resource team (STEM) is bringing speakers into the classrooms and allowing job shadowing.

Summer Vance will teach fourth grade at Jefferson Elementary for the remainder of the 2009-2010 school year. The board approved her hire last week. Vance is filling a teaching position vacated by Blair Nutter, who resigned.

The board hired Tracy McNair to work in the cafeteria at Lincoln Elementary.

The school sold all four of their surplus buses.

School based social worker Paula Kennedy will be working with Pryor Schools’ building counselors and CARE teams. The CARE teams will help identify risk factors in students through meetings and confidential contact.

“We’ve got kids that have so many social issues,” said Raleigh.

Raleigh congratulated students Patric Bias and Sean Webster for making the All State Band. Bias is first chair baritone sax and Webster is third chair trumpet. Webster, said Raleigh, is the first Pryor student since 1984 to be selected for the All State Choir and Band.

Students who received All State Choir honors include Webster, Brian Blevins, Kalan Bolinger, alternate, Michaela Sims, Heather Stott, Brittany Wright and Tiffany Wright. The All State Choirs will perform Saturday,

Jan. 23 at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.

From Pryor Junior High, seventh grader Jordan Bryant, eighth grader Andy Curtis, and ninth graders Felicia Green and Ashley Litke received Junior High Choir All State honors. Curtis received the junior high honors for the

second year in a row.

Washington Ele-

mentary received the National Title I School of Distinction award.