LOCUST GROVE — Locust Grove Public Schools has a contract to purchase 30 acres of land west of Highway 82 and north of Joe Koelsch Road, across from the football field. The land will be the new home of a $4.4 million dollar Early Learning Center that will house Pre-K through first grade.

Superintedent Dave Cash said the district has been working out the design details and he hopes to have the design completed and a rendering of the school in the next three weeks. If the project proceeds without any delays, Cash expects the district to break ground in the first two weeks of September.

Cash said the goal is to have the new facility completed by Aug. 1, 2011. With a late start date for the first day of school, Cash said it should allow teachers enough time to get moved in to their new rooms.

Locust Grove will be missing their School Resource Officer this year. Funding was not available to keep the position at the school.

“We will not be using one next year,” Cash said. “I hate it because it’s very valuable. It was either that or a teacher.”

Although former SRO, now Chief of Police Karen Raith, will not be walking the halls or patroling the campus, she said the department will be available when the school calls.

“We’ve always had a close relationship with the police department and the town,” Cash said.

During the regular monthly meeting of the Locust Grove school board, Monday, July 12, the board hired back 10 first year teachers. Nicole Bennett, Hanna Chamberlain, Vicki Hall, Mary Harper, Kelly Hudgins, Shelli Lamons, Alisa Mullen, Cole Purget, Rebecca Rhoten and Arryn Stacy will all return for the 2010-2011 school year.

The board also appointed Cash as the school’s purchasing agent for the upcoming school year. Cash and Beth Colvin will act as the federal programs representatives for 2010-2011 and Steve Tyner will be the 504 coordinator.

The Upper Elementary staff has been attending an A+ training at Tulsa Community College in Tulsa. The training is designed for children to have hands on active learning. The training was funded by the legislature.

Locust Grove was one of five schools chosen last spring to attend the training. In all, 65 schools in the state of Oklahoma have received the A+ training.