Board Report - May 12

Board Reports

Early Release Fridays Are Proving Effective

Chasity Gray, director of Professional Learning for Union Public Schools, praised the Board of Education and district for Early Release Fridays, a program in which school lets out early to allow for professional development among educators, and restoring professional learning communities (PLCs). 

“We have received an overwhelming response [from teachers and principals] that this time has been most valuable,” said Gray. “We’re proud of the upward trends in student data as we strengthen our Tier 1 core instruction.” 

Peters Elementary Principal Tracy Weese said, “Teachers are very appreciative. With Early Release Fridays, they were able to stay focused longer and not feel rushed to end what they were doing. They can use the time to break down CFAs, state standards and move through student misconceptions as long as needed because there are no time constraints.”  

Secondary sites have also benefited from embedded collaboration. To meet the district’s mission of “100 Percent Graduation, College and Career-Ready,” 6th Grade Center Principal Tammy Ward said, “We must make every effort to ensure students are learning the essential skills at each grade level. The collaborative PLC process is not just time for teachers to share or discuss their craft. When done right, it is a systematic process of diving deep into student data, identifying learning misconceptions and working together to plan instructional interventions. PLCs are a vital component to the response to intervention process.”  

In a recent survey, Ward gave her teachers, 93 percent indicated that collaboration allowed them to build stronger working relationships with colleagues. “We know from research that stronger relationships with colleagues leads to higher retention rates,” said Ward.  

Gray praised elementary and secondary schools for “the intentionality behind the work and the student achievement gains. We are very excited about what we are seeing.” 

Board of Education Approves Purchase of Old Lux Cheer Building

The Board of Education approved the purchase of the old Lux Cheer building, 6420 S. 101 E. Ave., for $2.3 million from Synergy Group, LLC., which is currently using the building for a construction business.

Associate Superintendent Charlie Bushyhead said the 21,850 square-foot building, which sits on 2.36 acres of land, may be used for practice space and changing areas for district performance groups or other student activities in need of practice space.

“Due to the layout and location of the building, there are many possible uses in the district currently being discussed,” he said in a memo. The current tenant will continue to lease the building until the lease expires in 2026, or if an agreement is made for early departure.

Formerly Lux Cheer and currently a construction company location, the space includes offices, restrooms and warehousing space. The building offers twenty-foot ceilings on the sides and thirty-foot ceilings in the pitch. The interior space will need to be renovated to fit the district's needs. The building has fire-sprinklers with the capacity to expand the system as needed.

In a separate project, the Board awarded a contract to Magnum Construction, Inc., for $259,000 to build new aviation classrooms at the Union Innovation Lab. The work will convert a large open space into two classrooms, lighting, HVAC and data support.

In other action, the Board:

• Approved a bid for fascia replacement at the Union Alternative School for $118,711 from Construction Enterprises, Inc. Fascia replacement is the process of replacing the boards that run along the edge of a roof.
• Awarded a contract to American Air Conditioning of Tulsa, LLC, to replace unit ventilators at the Union High School Freshman Academy for $374,700, using bond funds as approved by voters.
• Accepted a bid from Magnum Construction, Inc., for exterior painting at Moore Elementary at a cost of $110,950.
• Approved a contract from Alva Roofing Company for $1.74 million to replace the roof at Jarman Elementary, using bond funds as approved by voters.
• Approved the purchase of college- and career-ready labs from Paxton Patterson Labs for seventh and eighth grade students, costing $206,265.
• Approved the purchase of 700 iPads and cases from Apple, Inc., for $256,165 for use at the elementary level.
• Approved a subscription renewal for use of TalkingPoints for two years as a message service for families.
• Approved software from Panorama Education, Inc. for $274,651 for the district’s social-emotional learning and related learning needs.

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