Western Heights schools still retooling, four-day school districts face setback

A long road still lies ahead for Western Heights Public Schools nearly a year after state officials forced a takeover of the troubled district.

The southwest Oklahoma City school system struggled with staff shortages, heavy enrollment losses, poor facilities, abysmal financial management and chaotic leadership before the Oklahoma State Board of Education took control of operations in July.

Interim Superintendent Brayden Savage said Western Heights is improving, but a variety of challenges linger and future audit results could be concerning.

Savage gave a quarterly report to the state Board of Education on Thursday, along with leaders of other school districts on probation. The board heard from administrators of Ninnekah Public Schools and Oologah-Talala Public Schools, two districts reckoning with sexual abuse scandals.

While Ninnekah and Oologah-Talala had fewer, but deep, issues to resolve, Savage said shortfalls in Western Heights have been more diverse and widespread.

“When listening to the other school districts, I was thinking, ‘I would love to have just one or two areas (to correct),’” Savage said. “I’m pretty sure we have 200 different areas that we’re trying to work on right now.”

Corrective action ranges from updating heat and air systems to overhauling financial procedures.

Auditors warned the district’s annual financial review could have an “extremely lengthy list of findings” from the 2021 fiscal year, Savage said. The annual audit has yet to be released.

Meanwhile, ongoing contract and payroll issues have prompted “quite a few” teachers to prepare to leave the already short-staffed district.

Western Heights administrators are trying to rebuild both personnel levels and community trust, which became severely frayed under Superintendent Mannix Barnes.

Establishing a better culture could be difficult with Robert Everman still president of the school board. Everman led a campaign of resistance against state intervention and put up increasingly bizarre roadblocks for the state’s appointed interim superintendent.

Savage said there “have not been issues yet” with board conflict since she took over in February from former Interim Superintendent Monty Guthrie, but said there are some board members with whom she doesn’t see eye-to-eye.

“I believe that we are cordial to one another,” Savage said. “I have several board members who are very much advocates to the things we are doing.”

Arrest causes stir in Oklahoma state board meeting

Thursday's board meeting took a concerning turn when an attendee was arrested outside the state Education Department. 

A father, Khris McAfee, and his daughter spoke in public comment to promote children’s books McAfee said he had written. McAfee, of Illinois, asked to have the books signed and to take a picture with state schools Superintendent Joy Hofmeister. 

Hofmeister declined the request. Her staff became increasingly restless over the next hour of the meeting, as it was revealed McAfee had reportedly violated an Arizona court order. 

The agency was notified several days ago McAfee might show up at state Education Department offices and that he is "an individual of possible interest to law enforcement," Hofmeister said. The department alerted authorities once McAfee spoke at the meeting.

McAfee was escorted out, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol took him into custody. He was later released but kept separate from his daughter, according to the state Public Safety Department.

The child, of Arizona, remained inside with state Education Department staff. Relatives were expected to arrive Thursday afternoon to take her home.

Out-of-custody charges will be filed against McAfee in Arizona, said Sarah Stewart, spokesperson for the Public Safety Department.

Oklahoma state board denies shortened school years

Two years ago, supporters of four-day school weeks feared the state set the bar too high to keep their unique calendars.

Their concerns proved correct. Only a handful of more than 150 school districts that had alternative calendars met new criteria for a waiver that would allow them fewer than 165 school days a year.

But, even those qualifying school districts were denied waivers on Thursday.

Members of the state board said falling below 165 school days is unacceptable after two years of learning interruptions during the coronavirus pandemic.

“We have students who have been affected by COVID-19 who have had learning loss,” board member Estela Hernandez said. “For me to get to a point of approving less than 165 days, it’s hard for me to get there because our students need more, not less.”

To qualify for a waiver, elementary and middle schools would have to score a C or higher in academic growth for math and English language arts on annual Oklahoma State Report Cards. High schools must score at least a C in state test performance and in post-secondary opportunities, and their graduation rates must meet the state average or 82%.

Seven school districts met those standards while operating with fewer than 165 school days. Each asked to continue with their calendars, which have fewer school days but the same hours of class time as other schools.

The state board unanimously denied the request from all seven districts. Each could carry on with a four-day school week, but they must add school days to meet the 165-day minimum.

The seven school districts to have requests denied were Bridge Creek, LeFlore, Battiest, Morrison, Jennings, Roff and Antlers.

That minimum became law in 2019. Previously, schools had the choice of 180 school days or 1,080 hours.

Morrison Public Schools taught more than 1,080 hours a year even with fewer than 165 days of class.

The small district north of Stillwater had success teaching four extra-long school days and reserving Mondays for remediation and activities, Superintendent Brent Haken said.

The district will add eight extra school days because of the waiver denial. Administrators plan to shorten class periods to fit in the added days while keeping the four-day schedule.

Haken said longer school days were an asset to Morrison. Taking that away was “the biggest thing that hurts kids.” 

“The biggest thing you can do for kids is have lengthened class periods and a smaller ratio of teacher to student,” Haken said. “Now, we have to revert away from that, which I understand the board’s perspective that more time in a school is good rather than in some of the homes that children may be coming from, but that’s not the case in my community.” 

Five superintendents from the seven applying districts pleaded with the state board to grant them a waiver.

A four-day school week is attractive for teachers, and lengthening the school year could tarnish that incentive, they said.

In Battiest Public Schools, the cost of operating eight more days is similar to the price of a teacher’s salary, Superintendent Tommy Turner said. Cutting a teacher could mean combining two classrooms into one. 

“Keeping these high-quality teachers is key to our success,” Turner said. “It’s real simple. We can go a few less days and have high-quality teachers or I can have a warm body in there and go more days.” 

Reporter Nuria Martinez-Keel covers K-12 and higher education throughout the state of Oklahoma. Have a story idea for Nuria? She can be reached at nmartinez-keel@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @NuriaMKeel. Support Nuria’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Western Heights still retooling, 4-day school districts face setback