Construction projects being conducted across the Pearl River County School District are nearing completion, with most of the work still remaining to be completed at the new auditorium on the Carriere campus.

During Thursday’s meeting of the Board of Trustees, District Finance Director T.J. Burleson said crews are still putting finishing touches on the interior of the auditorium, such as dry wall and the sprinkler system. Seating and the curtain for the stage are being ordered so they will be in hand when installation can take place.

After Board member Jerry Frazier asked why there is a hole in the side of the building facing Highway 11, Burleson said it’s only temporary to allow larger pieces of equipment to get inside the building, such as a scissor lift. Once that access is no longer needed, that part of the building will be sealed in.

Installation of the curtain and seating is expected to take place in June. The process of moving classrooms into the building will start before though the entirety of the auditorium is complete so renovation work on other classrooms in older parts of the campus can take place.

Facade work on the cafeteria and multipurpose building is now complete, and quotes are being sought to conduct similar work to the entrance of the high school.

Concrete work at the baseball and softball fields is now complete and new netting was installed at the fields. Burleson said the only thing missing is the stadium seating ordered to ensure the seating meets ADA regulations. He advised the Board that a delivery date on the seating is currently unavailable.

Exterior painting work on the high school basketball gym is also complete, and the installation of ionization equipment on HVAC systems across all campuses is also done. Burleson said the ionization equipment will ensure the air in all classrooms is disinfected and the system also has the ability to help keep surfaces disinfected.

Playground equipment for the elementary campus ordered in November or December of last year has yet to arrive. Burleson said that equipment was supposed to arrive last month, but has since been delayed until March. When it does arrive, installation should only take a couple of weeks.