The Sand Springs Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously Jan. 13 to accept the districts 20232024 audit and to approve a package of construction awards tied to the Clyde Boyd middle school project, the superintendent said.

The board accepted the audit as presented after a summary from Jeff Hewitt of Bledsoe & Gullickson, the districts auditors. Jeff Hewitt said the independent auditors report included a qualified opinion on the regulatory basis the district uses and noted the report found no internal control deficiencies rising to the level of a material weakness. Overall its good, Hewitt said, adding that routine federal program encoding items were noted for correction.

The board also approved item 32, a segmented contract package for the Clyde Boyd middle school project, that the administration described as a portion of a larger project budgeted at about $5,900,000 for the initial scopes of work. District staff said the larger job is being bid in parts so site and road work can begin this summer while building drawings are finalized; staff expects final building bids and a contract amendment to come to the board in March.

Superintendent Durkee and district construction staff told the board contractors have already started demolition and site grading under earlier authorizations and that the district remains on track to provide occupancy in time for the start of school in August 2026. A contractor representative told the board the construction team expects to complete the work on an 18-month schedule and said the team believes that timeline is feasible.

Board members asked staff to note a correction in the minutes: the structural scope on one bid package should be assigned to D Kerns (as reflected in the bid tabulation), not LD Kearns as written in the item. The clerk said the correction will be reflected in the minutes.

The board approved the consent agenda and two employment recommendation items during the meeting; each vote was unanimous. The board also discussed routine finance, calendar and operations updates in the superintendents report, including preliminary plans for the FY26 calendar, a transition academy update and a possible change in the districts vendor for dental and life benefits pending employee education sessions.

Votes at a glance

- Motion: Accept the 20232024 audit as presented. Outcome: approved (Ayes: Mullins; Hamlin; Naugle; Wagers). Vote tally: 4-0.

- Motion: Approve item 32 (award segmented contracts for Clyde Boyd middle school site and initial scope; total of the initial package described as approximately $5,900,000). Outcome: approved (Ayes: Mullins; Hamlin; Naugle; Wagers). Vote tally: 4-0. Note: board directed a minutes correction to show structural scope assigned to D Kerns per bid tabulation.

- Motion: Approve consent agenda (including interlocal agreement with the City of Sand Springs for school resource officers). Outcome: approved (Ayes: Mullins; Hamlin; Naugle; Wagers). Vote tally: 4-0.

- Motion: Approve employment recommendations/executive-session employment items (items 30 and 31 as listed on the agenda). Outcome: approved (Ayes: Mullins; Hamlin; Naugle; Wagers). Vote tally: 4-0.

Context and next steps

Jeff Hewitt told the board that the audit opinion reflects the districts use of the State Department of Educations prescribed regulatory accounting basis, which triggers a qualified opinion for presentation differences from GAAP but does not indicate an adverse or disclaimed audit. Hewitt said staff responses on federal program coding were standard and correctable.

On the Clyde Boyd project, district staff said drawings for the final building scopes are expected by the end of January and the administration plans to present Amendment No. 3, the final contract package, at the March meeting. The administration and contractors stated the schedule target remains occupancy in August 2026; the board asked staff to coordinate certificate-of-occupancy timing with city officials to ensure students can move in at the start of the school year.

The board was also briefed on several operational items: energy-reporting formats are under review, the district is preparing expanded camera coverage for new facilities under federal program funding, and a proposed change in dental and life-insurance brokerage is on hold pending employee education sessions.