June 14, 2018 Vol. 19, No. 3
In This Issue ROUGH CUT SWISS
Rough Cut Swiss, in real life, is located in front of Othello’s Restaurant at the southwest corner of Main and Broadway, but this week it is hidden somewhere in our paper. Email contest@edmondpaper.com with the correct location to be entered in the weekly drawing. For more information see page 4.
Happy Father’s Day! June 17, 2018
FRIDAY, JUNE 15 Sunny High 95° Low 76°
SATURDAY, JUNE 16 Sunny High 94° Low 73°
SUNDAY, JUNE 17 Sunny High 91° Low 72°
By Steve Gust An incentive to attract qualified teachers to the Edmond School District passed last week, but did so in a rare split vote for the five-member school board. Board of Education member Jamie Underwood was quick to voice her opposition to a new transfer policy, which allows Edmond teachers living outside the district to enroll their children into Edmond Schools. “I’m opposed to this,” said Underwood, the lone “no” vote during the regular meeting. “This is opening up a can of worms to bring students here who contribute no ad valorem tax dollars.” Yet, one administrator said it was needed to make sure the district could recruit qualified staff to the district, especially teachers. “Kemp Cole, a former board member, told me once we need to get creative in recruiting,” said Randy Decker, Edmond’s chief human resources officer. Decker told the board last week the district had 85 teaching
Randy Decker vacancies. A few days later, he said that number had grown to 100. Both Decker and Superintendent Bret Towne noted most of the nearby metro districts already have such a transfer policy. Those offering teachers and their children a chance to transfer into the district where they teach include Guthrie, Deer Creek, Piedmont, El Reno, Yukon, Mustang, Mid-Del, Moore, Norman, Putnam City and Oklahoma City. During his presentation, Decker
said recruitment for qualified teachers was difficult and getting tougher for the state’s thirdlargest school district with almost 25,000 students. “In five years we’ll probably have 30,000 students in the district,” Decker projected. “Even if a huge pay increase is approved for teachers, it will probably take the colleges four to seven years to graduate the number of teachers needed.” Decker also produced a survey that showed Edmond possibly losing out on hiring 61 teachers if they couldn’t bring their children to the district’s schools. The same survey, done in January and February, showed 102 new students transferring into the district if such an option was available. Educating students who live outside of the district is not new, Towne said. He mentioned the district teaches some foster children and some from the nearby Oakdale District. Decker said the state will still continued on Page 3