Muskogee Public Schools

Snow Make-up Days: Friday, May 23, 2025, and Tuesday, May 27, 2025 Mark your calendars! To view the full 2024-25 Instructional Calendar, visit https://www.muskogeeps.org/o/mps/page/instructional-calendars

Congratulations to Melody Cranford from Cherokee Elementary for being named one of Oklahoma Oil & Natural Gas'(OERB - Oklahoma Energy Resources Board)Top Twenty Teachers of 2024-2025! 🌟 Ms. Cranford was chosen from over 1,200 nominations for her exceptional passion for teaching and her positive impact on students. To celebrate this incredible achievement, she was awarded a $5,000 check! We're so proud to have her as part of our Rougher family! 💚

Congratulations to our Muskogee High School students on their acceptance to Northeastern State University! We’re proud of your hard work and dedication. 💚🎓 #TheMuskogeeWay #FutureReady

UPDATE: Pending board approval next Tuesday, there will be no early release day next Wednesday, March 12, 2025. Students will follow a regular schedule.

REMINDER: Parent/Teacher Conferences are this Monday and Tuesday, March 10th & 11th from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at all school sites. For more information, please reach out to your child's school.

>>>>> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE <<<<<< March 6, 2025 Dear MPS Community, It is with deep sadness that I share the news of the passing of Mr. Louis Measurall, a permanent substitute teacher at Muskogee High School. Louis was a valued member of the Rougher family for the past seven years, dedicating his time and energy to serving our students since 2018. His unwavering commitment to his work and his passion for educating young minds made a profound impact on both students and staff alike. On behalf of the entire Muskogee Public Schools family, I offer my deepest condolences to Mr. Measurall’s family and friends. His memory will live on in the hearts of the many students and colleagues he touched over the years. We will be providing support services for students and staff as we navigate through this time of sorrow. I encourage everyone to lean on one another and reach out for help as needed. For more information or support, please contact Muskogee Public Schools at (918) 684-3700. Sincerely, Dr. Jarod Mendenhall Superintendent Muskogee Public Schools

#ReadAcrossAmericaWeek is in full swing here at MPS! With fun themed dress-up days and exciting guest speakers, our students are celebrating the joy of reading. Thank you to all of our volunteers for helping make this week special! 📚✨

Here is a snippet of our Instructional Calendar for March: - Mar 10-11: Parent/Teacher Conferences (Elem & Sec) - Mar 12: Early Release Day - Mar 13: End of 3rd Term - Mar 14-21: Spring Break - No School To view the full 2024-25 Instructional Calendar, visit https://www.muskogeeps.org/.../page/instructional-calendars

ALUMNI EXCELLENCE AWARD: Service to Muskogee Public Schools, Melony Carey Melony Carey is a member of the first graduating class of Muskogee High School in 1971. While in high school she was active in Student Council, Junior Classical League, and tennis. She attended the University of Oklahoma where she earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Latin and classical studies. She returned to her Alma Mater in 1975 as the Latin teacher, also serving as chair of the Fine Arts Department for sixteen years. Carey moved to district administration as director of various programs including gifted and talented education, public relations, and director of secondary education. In all her career with the district spanned forty-two years. She continues to serve the district on various committees, including Education Foundation of Muskogee. Her commitment to Muskogee Schools and the Muskogee community includes serving on the boards of Three Rivers Museum, Main Street Muskogee, Muskogee Means More placemaking team, Muskogee STEAM Center, and serving as President of Founders’ Place Historical District and past chair of the Muskogee Historic Preservation Commission. She has worked hard to forge an inclusive Muskogee, honoring Muskogee’s rich past, and was recently made an honorary member of the Manual Training High School Class of 1964.

ALUMNI EXCELLENCE AWARD: Rougher Hero, Shonika Breedlove Shonika Breedlove graduated from Muskogee High School with the Class of 1994. During her high school career, she was an outstanding athlete, helping her basketball team earn trips to four state championships as well as being named an All-State basketball player in 1994. She continued her education and basketball career at Eastern Oklahoma State College, where she set the record for most points in a game. She then became part of Sherri Cole’s first squad at the University of Oklahoma, making the Big 12 All-Academic team as a junior. Shonika earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Oklahoma in 1999 and later completed her Master’s of Education in Sports Administration from East Central University in 2014. She coached at Connors State as an assistant before going on to coach at Boynton-Moton, reaching state finals on several occasions. Later she was an eight-year assistant at Muskogee High as part of three state teams before taking the head coaching job from 2018-19. She has served Muskogee Schools for over two decades as a coach and dean at Rougher Alternative Academy and Muskogee High School. Shonika is also highly involved in the community through the Rougher Youth Sports Association, Women Who Care, and the Muskogee Parks and Recreation board. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. and was inducted into the Muskogee Athletic Hall of Fame in 2020. Her commitment to Muskogee Public Schools’ students and athletes makes her a true Rougher Hero.

✨ Muskogee High School Presents the All-School Musical - The Wiz!✨ Don't miss this incredible show at the MHS Performing Arts Center! Performances are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30 PM, and Sunday at 3:00 PM. Tickets are still available online at mps.booktix.com or at the door!

ALUMNI EXCELLENCE AWARD: Service to Community, Joy Sloan Joy Sloan graduated with the Muskogee High School Class of 1980 where she was an outstanding athlete. She received a bachelor degree in social work from Northeastern State University and a master’s in social work at the University of Oklahoma, becoming a licensed clinical social worker in 1999. She currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Green Country Behavioral Health Services where she has worked since 1992. Sloan’s dedication to mental health services at the local, state and national level has made a tremendous impact in Muskogee. She has been instrumental in increasing employment for under-served individuals; helped the agency develop strategic partnerships with law enforcement and health care; and developed the Family Wellness Center west of town to help children and families in crisis. Sloan is fully vested in our community, serving on multiple boards, such as Muskogee Means More placemaking committee, Little Theater Board of Directors, and Muskogee Chamber of Commerce from which she received a Lifetime Achievement Award. She managed the Muskogee softball league for thirty-eight years as a coach and umpire. Sloan’s dedication to improving our community for our children, families and citizens is a model of excellence.

We are incredibly proud of our MPS nurse, Norma Kirk, for serving as the Nurse of the Day at the Oklahoma State Senate! Thank you for your dedication and service! 💚 #TheMuskogeeWay

ALUMNI EXCELLENCE AWARD: Professional Achievement Award, Vance W. Raye, J.D. Vance Raye was the Student Body President for the Manual Training High School Class of 1964. Raye attended the University of Oklahoma, earning his bachelor’s and juris doctorate degrees there. Following law school he entered private practice before joining the United States Air Force as an Assistant Judge Advocate at Beale Air Force Base in 1970. Following completion of his military service he began a career with the California Attorney General’s Office serving as Deputy Attorney General, later in charge of legislative affairs. He was appointed to serve as Legal Affairs Secretary to George Deukmejian, Governor of California. He was subsequently appointed to the Sacramento Superior Court and the Third District Court of Appeals. In 2010 he was appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as the court’s Presiding Justice. Justice Vance was involved in numerous initiatives benefitting child welfare, family relations, and criminal justice. He co-authored the three volume book “California Civil Practice, Family Law Litigation.” He retired from the Court in 2022.

ALUMNI EXCELLENCE AWARD: Professional Achievement, Stacy Leeds, J.D. Stacy Leeds is a 1990 graduate of Muskogee High School. While in high school Leeds excelled in both academics and athletics, following her high school career with collegiate athletics at Washington University in St. Louis where she was part of two Division III Final Four teams. She went on to earn law degrees from University of Wisconsin (LL.M.) and University of Tulsa (J.D.), and a master’s in business from University of Tennessee. Leeds’ remarkable career includes being the first Indigenous woman to serve as a law school dean. She was dean of University of Arkansas School of Law (2011-2018) and the inaugural Vice Chancellor for Economic Development, University of Arkansas (2017-2020). In 2021 she became Foundation Professor of Law and Leadership for the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University in 2018. Additionally, she was named a nonresident fellow of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute at Harvard University. Leeds was a former administrator and professor at University of Kansas and University of North Dakota. She is a former Cherokee Nation Supreme Court Justice and former Chair of the Cherokee Nation Gaming Commission. She is a founding board member and treasurer of the Foundation for America’s Public Lands, a congressionally-chartered non-profit and corporate board member for Kituwah LLC. Leeds currently serves as the chief judge of the Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation's District Court, the associate judge of the Kaw Nation's Supreme Court, and the chief justice of the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma's Supreme Court. She was inducted into the Muskogee Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015.

ALUMNI EXCELLENCE AWARD: Young Career Achievement, Dawaylon Barnes Dawaylon Barnes graduated from Muskogee High School with the Class of 2014. While at MHS he was enrolled in pre-engineering courses under instructor Janet Lopez. He was also a dedicated athlete who earned numerous recognitions, including the State Champion in wrestling in 2014. This was followed by an athletic career first winning the JUCO National Championship at North Eastern Oklahoma A & M and NJCAA Academic All American. He transferred to the University of Oklahoma where he earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering. He also participated in the OU wrestling program, finishing fifth at the Big 12 Championships to earn an automatic entry to the 2018 NCAA Championships. He went on to earn a master’s degree in mechanical engineering at OU and is currently a senior mechanical engineer for KBR, Inc., an engineering firm in Oklahoma City. He was inducted into the Muskogee Athletic Hall of Fame in 2020.

ALUMNI EXCELLENCE AWARD: Lifetime Achievement, Dr. Wilbur Thomas Wilbur G. Thomas, Senior Class President of the Manual Training High School Class of 1964, left a remarkable lifetime legacy. He was a graduate of Oklahoma State University, the University of Illinois, receiving a doctorate in Animal Science, and a post-doctoral degree from Syracuse University in Public Administration. In 1977 he received a commission with the U.S. Foreign Service with the U.S. Agency for International Development in Southern Africa, serving in Guinea, Burkina-Faso, Liberia, Cape Verde, Senegal, Mauritania and Mali. He was also awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Monrovia in Liberia. Dr. Thomas served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and was a decorated veteran.

ALUMNI EXCELLENCE AWARD: Lifetime Achievement, W. Richard West, Jr., J.D. W. Richard West, Jr. was president of the Muskogee Central High School Class of 1961. Following graduation he attended Redlands University where he received a degree in American history followed by a master’s degree in American history at Harvard University, and a juris doctorate from Stanford University. A citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes, West was instrumental as founding director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., which also includes the George Gustav Heye Center (a permanent exhibition and education facility in New York City), and the Cultural Resources Center (a research and collections facility in Suitland, Maryland). He has devoted his professional life and much of his personal life to working with American Indians on cultural, educational, legal and governmental issues, as well as to American museum conservation. This work reflects the strong Native American history and heritage that was influential in Muskogee, our state and country.

Due to remaining ice and snow on side streets and in parking lots, Muskogee Public Schools will be closed on Friday, February 21, for all Pre-K through 12th-grade students. This will be a traditional snow day with no distance learning required. All after-school activities are canceled. Coaches and directors will provide updates on specific events as needed. Enjoy the long weekend, stay safe, and we’ll see you back on Monday, Roughers!

Due to hazardous road conditions, Muskogee Public Schools will be closed on Thursday, February 20, for all Pre-K through 12th-grade students. This will be another traditional snow day with no distance learning. All after-school activities, including any rescheduled events, remain canceled. Coaches and directors will provide updates on specific events as needed. District leaders will continue to monitor the weather and assess conditions on a day-by-day basis. Stay safe and warm, Roughers!