The Arkansas City Board of Education on Monday expressed appreciation to voters for approving both bond propositions earlier this month. Board members said the support represents a major step forward for students and schools, helping provide safer, more modern learning spaces across the district.
The board also recognized the work of the district’s Steering and Campaign Committees, whose leadership and outreach were credited with helping build community trust and understanding ahead of the election.
In other business, the board approved a new plan regarding dual-credit students at Arkansas City High School who take classes through Cowley College. Under the plan, students may be excused from reporting to ACHS when their Cowley classes are not in session, with parent consent required. Online students will continue to report to school as scheduled, and tutoring and academic support will remain available on Fridays.
Board members discussed safety enhancements for visitor check-in and check-out procedures, especially at schools that do not yet have double-entry security systems. Principals have been asked to move visitor sign-ins to exterior doors and coordinate with security staff until bond-funded upgrades are complete.
Personnel items included the resignation of Lilian Cibils, SAT at Adams Elementary, and new hires Danielle Meyer at Roosevelt and Kaylee Navarrette at Adams.
The board also accepted several community donations, reviewed plans to improve ADA compliance and traffic flow at Arkansas City Middle School, and agreed to seek bids for new district vehicles and a forklift. Members met in executive session to discuss property and personnel matters; no action was taken.
