By Bridget Nash Staff Writer

With a unanimous vote Monday, Enid Public School Board of Edu-cation decided to extend the employment contract of Superintendent Shawn Hime.

The vote was taken after an executive session during which the board discussed Hime’s performance evaluation.

Hime was hired on a three-year contract, and the board voted to extend his contract for one additional year, until 2012.

As requested by Hime, his salary and compensation were not increased due to the current economic climate of the state, said EPS school and community relations director Amber Graham Fitzgerald.

During the meeting, the board also approved renewing a contract with Baptist Healthcare of Oklahoma, Integris Bass Behavioral Health, allowing EPS to provide educational services to school-aged patients of the Intergris facility.

Also renewed was a contract with GroupCast, LLC for SchoolReach telephone broadcasting service, which allows school officials to more quickly and efficiently communicate with parents regarding school announcements, including emergencies.

“This has become an important part of our communications program,” Fitzgerald said.

The contract comes with a cost increase of 25 cents per student but also comes with additional features this year, she said.

New features include a Spanish listening option for schools with a high percentage of students in the English Language Learners classes. The Spanish feature also automatically leaves messages in English and Spanish when an answering machine or voice mail picks up the outgoing call.

“This is the greatest thing,” said board member Molly Helm about the SchoolReach system.

Various school, student and teacher handbooks were approved. They featured changes due to the grade reconfiguration and the new cell phone policy of the district. Students now are allowed to have cell phones on school campuses, but they cannot be used or seen during the school day.

Certified temporary employment contracts were approved for: Cindy Black, counselor, Longfellow Junior High School; Billy Karr, social studies, EHS; Courtney McClain, kindergarten, McKinley Elementary School; Brittani Moore, fifth grade, Coolidge Elementary School; Becky Potts, special education, Adams Elementary School; and Laura Travis, fourth/fifth split, Adams.

Certified temporary employment contracts pending certification were approved for: Heather Cove, special education, Adams; Wendy Ochs, kindergarten, Garfield Elementary School; Alyssa Plummer, kindergarten, McKinley; Dana Poslick, third grade, Hayes Elementary School; Amanda Purdy, second grade, Adams; and Gina Thornton, kindergarten, Garfield.

A support contract was approved for Steven Harwood, teacher assistant, Hayes.

Retirements and resignations included Susan Adams, Diane Ford, Make Franklin, Lorri “Ann” Frazee-Riley, Matt Bailey, Kari Hill, Amanda Jones, Will Jones, Douglas Newell, Donna Chancellor, Marcine Clift and Karen McCook.

During the meeting, the board also approved:

• A contract with Garfield County Interlocal Cooperative District No. 24-K001 for EPS to provide physical therapy services to the cooperative district.

• A contract with Clearwater Enterprises, LLC to provide bulk natural gas to selected high-volume EPS sites.

• Designating Hime as the authorized representative for Enid Independent School District No. 57 for the E-Rate program for 2009-2010 fiscal year.

• Stating the district’s record retention and procurement procedures as wells as its compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act.