The bond issue election that will determine if the Pearl River County School District can secure the money to build a new elementary school is set for Tuesday, Sept. 18.

District Superintendent Dennis Penton said last night at the district’s school board meeting last night that there has been some really good feedback concerning this project. He anticipates a favorable result in the election.

Also on Sept. 18, the district will interview applicants for curriculum coordinator.

“We received about two dozen applications with about one third of those being from outside the district,” Penton said. “Resumes will be reviewed and whittled down with the most qualified applicants to be called for interviews.”

Penton presented an idea for the board to consider as a motivation to increase the district’s graduation rate.

“Moss Point and Pascagoula schools have sold t-shirts to students from K-12 that have their graduation date on them. The students get to wear them one day a week instead of the school uniform. It makes graduation an expectation and not a possibility,” he said.

Penton also said the district intends to petition the state for Allied Health program.

“Poplarville has it and Picayune has it. Funding is the biggest issue,” he said. “It’s a program for students that would lead into nursing field for PRCC and other schools. I feel it would be a big benefit.”

Basketball coach Alan Lumpkin had a proposal for protecting the new gym floor.

“The floor cost $85,000,” Lumpkin told the board, “and that needs to be protected.” He showed them several quotes and recommended a “middle of the road” product that would cost about $12,000, including a cover for student traffic, a storage unit with an electric roller with a cleaner brush to clean the cover as it rolled up. The board approved going out for bids on the device.

Lumpkin said Alumni Night is Nov. 2 with an alumni game and fish fry.

He told the board Pearl River Central is hosting the district tourney this year, and the team is proud to host it in the new gym.

A request by Bo Moeller to use the district facilities for a new church was discussed, but the church decided the district’s boardroom is not large enough.

“We don’t have a facility that is suitable for that sort of gathering.” Penton said. “I recommend we offer the auditorium at the McNeill campus. The multipurpose facility (here at PRC) is being used for the band hall, is not in any shape to be used for anything else. The cafeteria doesn’t have public bathrooms.”

Board member Michelle Boyd asked about the long lines to buy football tickets.

“We don’t sell enough pre-sale tickets to make any difference in the length of the line. It was the weather that did that,” Penton said. He stressed pre-sale tickets was not the problem

“Well, can we just make sure that there is extra help or the ticket sellers are on time so it doesn’t happen again?” Boyd asked.

“We certainly will,” Penton said.