Muskogee schools to retire at least 8 support staff

By Cathy Spaulding

As Muskogee Public Schools Support Workers of the Month, Creek Elementary custodian Carl Flinn and Indian Education Program secretary Gail Sevier were honored by their bosses for being hard working and conscientious.

However, neither are expected to return to work next year because they have opted to take part in a support personnel early retirement plan approved by the Muskogee Board of Education at its regular meeting on Tuesday. Support workers include custodians, secretaries, bus drivers, child nutrition workers and paraprofessionals.

Under a negotiated agreement between Muskogee Public Schools and the Muskogee Education Support Personnel Association, support workers may who have worked at least seven years with the district may take part in a Voluntary Separation Plan. The plan includes the following:

• During the benefit period, a monthly payment will be made to the individual. All benefits terminate after 30 payments or two and a half years from the separation date if leaving on Dec. 31, 2009. For those leaving on June 30, 2010, benefits will last for 24 payments or two years after separation.

• Yearly entitlements of $3,600 if the retirement takes effect Dec. 31, 2009 or $2,400 if the retirement takes effect June 30, 2010.

• Participants must work for the district five days a year as a substitute teacher.

• Participants must request to participate in the retirement/voluntary separation plan before 5 p.m. Nov. 30. The decision is not revocable.

At least eight support workers, including secretaries, child nutrition workers, custodians and teacher assistants were listed on an agenda addendum the board approved on Tuesday. Flinn and Sevier were on that list.

Creek Principal Rick Hoos praised Flinn, who has been with Creek for 10 years. Hoos quoted teachers who called Flinn “a man with many talents” and a man who “gets things done before you ask.”

Indian Education Director Maxine Glory said her praise was “bittersweet” because of Sevier’s planned retirement, listed as taking effect Dec. 31.

A secretary at Grant Foreman Elementary, a registrar and a secretary at Muskogee High School, and an attendance secretary at the 7th & 8th Grade Center also were listed as seeking early retirement.

The school board also accepted the resignation of a secretary at Ben Franklin Science Academy, who was not part of the early retirement plan, according to Jim Wilson, assistant superintendent for personnel and support.

Earlier this year, the board approved a voluntary separation plan for certified personnel such as teachers and counselors.

Also at its Tuesday meeting, board members awarded a bid of $420,000 from Vargas Construction to build a safe room for Tony Goetz Elementary, subject to approval from a financing company and from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. MPS Facilities and Maintenance Director Wayne Johnson said all eight bids came in way over the $300,000 originally budgeted for the safe room project, which was to be paid with a 25/75 match between the district and FEMA. He had earlier said the district could not afford its part of the match. He told the board that FEMA agreed to pay more. He said the district decided to set aside safe room funding requests for Harris-Jobe Elementary and Muskogee High School so more local money can be used for Tony Goetz, he said.

The board agenda for Tuesday listed the board as voting on whether to table awarding the bid. The item had been part of standing resolutions, but was voted on separately.



Reach Cathy Spaulding at 918-684-2928 or Click Here to Send Email

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