Pauls Valley school board members will now be eligible to obtain health insurance through the school district, following a vote of the Pauls Valley Board of Education at the board’s Feb. 11 regular meeting.
“There’s not a lot of benefits of being a board member,” Pauls Valley School Superintendent Brett Knight said during the meeting. “But one thing we can provide our board members is the opportunity to have health insurance through the school district.”
Knight said the district had spoken with the Oklahoma State School Board Association about offering health insurance to board members and that other districts in the state have implemented similar measures to attract and retain board members.
The coverage will be extended to board members only and will not include family coverage.
School board members considered the measure under two separate agenda items. The first item was consideration of allowing school board members to purchase health insurance through the school district as allowed under Oklahoma statutes. The second was to consider approving the district to pay the monthly health insurance premium for board members in an amount not to exceed that provided to certified employees.
Before voting on the second item, board member Joe Don Looney asked Knight about the district’s ability to afford paying for the health insurance.
“We’re in great financial shape,” Knight said.
All five board members voted in favor of approving both items.
Board members won’t be eligible to receive the health insurance until the district’s next open enrollment period, usually held at the end of the calendar year.
In other business, board members approved the rehiring of several district administrators and department heads for the next school year. Site principals and assistant principals renewed for the 2026-27 school year include Kirk Moore, Martha Graham, Angela Green, Kristi Herd, Chad Chronister and Drew Etheredge.
The board approved the rehire of Alternative Education Director Laney Tibbs, Garvin County Cooperative and Special Education Director Elizabeth Sam, Technology Director Travis Thompson, Plant Services Coordinator Tim Williams and Transportation Director Robert Weilenman.
The board also opened the only bid received for the lease of two tracts of farmland owned by the school district for the 2026-2027 lease year. Board members approved the lease amount of $1,140 bid for a 28.3-acre tract of pasture and an $820 lease bid for a 17-acre tract of pasture.
