The Cleveland Board of Education met in August to prepare for the start of the school year, covering routine approvals, expanding learning opportunities for students, and taking important steps toward major facility upgrades.

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Routine Approvals to Start the Year
The meeting began with the consent agenda — a group of routine items that keep the district running smoothly. This included monthly financial reports, requests from groups to use school facilities, and approvals for activity account transactions. The board also renewed several service agreements that ensure key programs are ready when school starts.

These agreements cover services like occupational therapy for students, partnerships with career and technology education programs, and continued mental health support through GRAND Mental Health. The board also approved a community fundraiser for the Tiger Distance/Cross Country team.

In addition, the district renewed several contracts and memorandums of understanding (MOUs) — which are simply formal agreements between the district and other organizations outlining how we’ll work together.

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Expanding Student Learning Options
Two actions from the meeting will directly benefit students:

• The board approved a request for a senior to take a third-period internship next year, giving them extra time in a real-world learning environment.
• The board authorized flexibility for students to adjust their graduation plan under new state requirements (House Bill 2627). This gives students more options if their schedule makes it difficult to fit in certain fine arts, foreign language, or computer application classes.

The board also approved adjunct teacher positions for the 2026 school year. An adjunct teacher is a qualified professional who teaches part-time in their area of expertise, allowing us to expand course offerings without adding a full-time position.

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Funding Future Facilities
A major topic this month was how to fund much-needed facility improvements. The board approved two resolutions that allow us to move forward with projects using lease revenue bonds.

Here’s the simple version: Oklahoma law doesn’t allow school districts to directly use lease revenue bonds, so we work with the Cleveland Educational Facilities Authority (CEFA) — a public trust made up of Cleveland City Council members — to handle the financing on our behalf.

The process works in two steps:

1. Lease to CEFA – The district temporarily leases property (like a school building or athletic facility) to CEFA so they can secure the funding.
2. Lease Back to the District – CEFA then leases the property back to us so we can continue using it without interruption while improvements are made and paid for over time.

This is a creative, legal, and financially sound way to upgrade our facilities even though our traditional bond capacity is limited. Our bond advisor attended the meeting to walk the board through the details and answer questions.

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Investments in Learning and Operations
The board also approved several large purchases, including:

• New STEM program equipment for middle and high school – $20,000, $9,000, and $37,000.
• New ticket booths – $15,000.
• Food service purchases – $20,000.

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District Updates & Project Timeline
Superintendent Sol Bayouth shared several updates:

• Policy Review: Potential updates from our legal team are being reviewed for the school year.
• Tiger Vision Projects: Chromebooks have arrived for students, furniture orders are delayed until early fall, and the indoor practice facility renovation will begin in October.

Construction Timeline:

• Phase 1: Indoor Practice Facility – Design now, construction Nov. 2025.
• Phase 2: High School Roof, Labs/SPED, Entry, Electrical – Design Sept. 2025, construction late spring/summer 2026.
• Phase 3: Miscellaneous Additions/Renovations – Design Sept. 2025, construction summer/fall 2026.
• Phase 4: High School Fine Arts, Kitchen, Cafeteria – Design April 2026, construction fall/winter 2026–27.

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If you have questions about any of these actions or projects, please contact the superintendent’s office. We’re looking forward to an exciting school year filled with opportunities for students and improvements to our facilities.