The Pauls Valley Board of Education took action during their July 17 meeting to begin the process of replacing a Ford F-250 pickup truck, trailer and two zero-turn lawnmowers stolen from the district’s bus barn in early June.
Pauls Valley Police Chief Don May delivered an update on the investigation into the theft during the board’s regular meeting, telling board members there was very little information to go on and limited surveillance video.
“So far, none of our leads have checked out,” May said, adding that all of the equipment that had serial numbers or VIN numbers had been entered into the national database.
“They were entered that day, but we’ve had no hits on them. That’s been a while ago. So, not a lot to go on,” May said. “I’m confident the equipment’s not here. It’s gone somewhere else.”
Board President Jesse Alverado asked what the district could do to better secure equipment in the future.
Pauls Valley Superintendent Brett Knight said the district has already started reassessing the measures it takes to secure equipment, implementing things like disconnecting trailers from vehicles, storing equipment and keys in separate locations and making sure equipment is locked up inside at night if possible. Board members also discussed adding more surveillance in strategic areas.
“We’re just trying to do the best we can to put as much between the equip- ment and the outside world as we can,” Knight told the board. “If it’s a minor inconvenience for our staff, maybe it’s a major inconvenience for a thief.”
Knight said the district is working with its insurance companies to replace the stolen items.
During the meeting, board members considered an agenda item to replace the stolen mowers, approving the purchase of two new mowers at a cost of $10,887 each. Knight said the purchases will be covered at replacement cost by the district’s insurance.
Board members also voted to sign over the title to the stolen 2015 Ford pickup to Oklahoma Schools Insurance Group, the first step in the process of replacing the vehicle, Knight said. Once the title is signed and notarized OSIG will pay out $30,526.50, which the district will use to replace the vehicle.
Other agenda items considered by the board, included the district’s policy on allowing outside organizations to use district school buses.
Knight explained the issue had come up because there had been a request from a local organization to use school buses to transport children to a church camp in Anadarko.
In light of the request, Knight said, he began reviewing policy to see what was allowable and what was not. He said the district has a policy in place governing the use of school property. The policy includes a rate schedule for use of school buildings for non-student led groups. While it does not list school buses specifically, Knight said the policy states “other buildings, property or equipment may be available for use at the discretion of the board of education.”
He asked the board for direction on the matter and noted the district is allowing the city of Pauls Valley to use a bus each summer for programming offered through the Donald W. Reynolds Recreation Center. Knight said he had checked on the district’s insurance policy and it appeared board approved use by an outside organization, as documented by meeting minutes, would be covered under the current policy.
School board members expressed concern about possible legal implications of letting outside organizations use school buses for non-school purposes.
“I haven’t got a problem with it. The only thing that worries me, and I’ve heard this in the past, is once you open it up for one person you’ve got to do it for everybody,” said board member Joe Don Looney. “I’d feel more comfortable talking with an attorney about it, just to be on the safe side.”
Board member JR Jackson pointed out the district has a limited number of buses and if something were to go wrong with one, it would leave students in the district without adequate bus transportation. He also said the city program currently using buses over the summer months is delivering meals to school age children who live within the district, and the buses don’t leave the city of Pauls Valley.
Board member Katie Johnson also expressed concern about legal implications.
“I agree. I don’t like the idea that if we approve it for this one, then we’re going to be scrutinized when people come out of the woodwork to ask to use them and we say no,” Johnson said.
Alvarado said at the end of the day board members must decide if an action is beneficial for children in the district or not.
“I agree with Joe Don, we should definitely have our attorney look at it,” Alvarado said.
The board ultimately decided to table the item until they can follow up with an attorney.
The board also voted to approve a policy naming school approved platforms for digital communication between students and staff. The policy is designed to comply with a new law that went into effect July 1 and requires schools to include parents or guardians in any digital communication between staff and individual students, unless the communication is on a school approved platform and related to academic or school communications.
According to Pauls Valley’s new policy, approved platforms will be the Rooms app, school email and Google Classroom.
As part of his superintendent’s report, Knight told the board the district has received a letter from the Oklahoma State Board of Equalization and a protest has been filed on behalf of DCP Southern Hills Pipeline to challenge their valuation, a situation that could have a potentially negative financial impact on the district.
“It’s going to affect some of our tax money. It’s also going to affect some of our gross production, I’m betting,” Knight said, adding they won’t know the exact impact on the district until after December 31.
“We’re trying to work together to get some information from the (county) treasurer on what the valuation has been previously, what has happened in the past with some of these challenges and to get where we can just maybe find what the estimated impact is going to be even if it’s not exact,” Knight said.
Knight also told board members Garvin County District 3 has helped the district oil and chip some problem areas, including ruts and large potholes, in the high school parking lot in preparation for the upcoming school year.
“I appreciate them so much for working with us and trying to get that parking lot where it’s at least useable,” Knight said. “It’s a hundred times better than it was.”
