Board prepares for upcoming school year

Published 7:00 am Wednesday, July 19, 2017

In May, the Pearl River County School Board approved a district-wide audit to be conducted on the District’s buildings and facilities. Warren Bowen, a New Path consultant, offered the Board two options for the audit contract. The first was a complete audit of every building on both campuses, costing $77,740. The second option was to audit only the buildings in need of the most attention at a quote of $46,307, previous coverage states.
The Board decided to go forward with a complete audit of every building on both the Carriere and McNeill campuses. Monday, the Board scheduled an open Board workshop for July 24 at 4 p.m. to receive the results.
“We’ve had the second largest increase in enrollment this year in the state, so what this audit is going to do is help us prepare for the future,” Superintendent Alan Lumpkin said. “Along with focusing on the amount of students we will have per classroom, the audit will also provide us with information on the conditions of each building and facility so we know if there will be any necessary renovations or additional structures needed.”
He added that the audit’s purpose was to better prepare the District for necessary repairs and plan in advance for potential renovations to help the Board prioritize the District’s needs.
The meeting will be held in the Boardroom at the District office.
In other news, Lumpkin presented the Board with an update concerning the transition of their maintenance department.
“So far, everything is going smooth. We are adjusting well and should be ready when the first day of school comes around,” he said.
Later in the meeting, the Board approved paying Carleton Graham, Joseph Kitchens, Brock Revels and Zachary Roussell to help guide the new maintenance department through the month of July.
The Board also approved:
— The official 2018 budget.
— A donation of a 26x12x60 farm tech/growers supply greenhouse, valued at $1,536 to the city of Picayune.
— The collaborative agreement for student placement and services with Millcreek of Magee for the upcoming school year.
— The agreement for student placement and services with Mississippi Children’s Home Services for the upcoming school year.
The next meeting will be August 7 at 5:30 p.m.

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