Holiday wishes were granted Thursday to the board of trusteesfor the Brookhaven School District when they were informed that thenew high school building was almost ready for students.

“We will be finalizing everything and ready for inspection aboutthe middle of January,” said Robert Freeman of Barranco Architectsand Carothers Construction Management, the companies in charge ofthe project.

District officials had planned to move into the new high schoolduring spring break, but with the speed of construction efforts itcould be sooner. They were not sure of an exact date, due topending inspections.

Freeman added that the east building should be finished within aweek, with the exception of some hardware expected to arrive thefirst of January.

“The first of the year we’ll be finishing some painting in thewest building, but everything else is pretty much done there, too,”he said.

In the auditorium, workers are hanging sheetrock while waitingto receive floor tile.

“We’re trying to get the floor prepped now so we can lay thetile when it comes in,” Freeman told board members during theirmonthly meeting.

Also, the irrigation system is almost complete, and the brickstill needs to be sealed, he added.

In other matters, school board members approved a time and placefor the upcoming board of trustees election.

The election for one of the at-large positions, currently heldby Carl Aycock, will be held from 2-5 p.m., March 2, 2002 in theBrookhaven High School gymnasium.

“I plan to run. I’ve got a vested interest,” Aycock said abouthis intentions.

Applications for qualifying for the race will be available atthe central office on Court Street in January.

Superintendent of Education Dr. Sam Bounds informed the board ofa recent honor bestowed upon one of the district’s principals.

Lipsey Middle School principal Rita Rich was chosen by theNational Elementary Principal’s Association to assist in theNational School Public Relations Association monthly magazine.

She was also chosen as vice-chairman of the MississippiCommittee of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Bounds also notified board members of $72,000 donated to thedistrict to upgrade all equipment and software in the AlexanderJunior High School computer discovery labs.

The district will also receive a capacity building grant in theamount of just over $49,000 to train teachers to better instructautistic children in the district, Bounds said.

Other donations to the district recently included $3,000 fromthe Brookhaven Elementary PTA (Parent-Teacher Association) and$2,000 from the Lipsey PTA to assist teachers at those schools tobuy classroom supplies.

“The legislature drastically cut the teacher supply fund fromabout $750 to $150 each, so those donations are much needed,”Bounds said.

Brookhaven Elementary PTA donated a computer and water vacuum aswell, while Lipsey PTA provided funds this month for back stagecurtains for the gymnatorium.

Aycock and Mike Land also topped the list of donations, bothgiving a computer, printer and other computer equipment to thedistrict.

Bounds also announced that $850 was raised for the Blair E.Batson Children’s Hospital through Brookhaven Elementary’s CoolKids Cafe.

Lipsey’s TOP (Tobacco Off Premises) Squad was recognized as oneof the top six SWAT (Students Working Against Tobacco) teams in thestate, which has over 400 teams.

Board members closed the meeting and went into executive sessionto discuss a student matter of discipline. The next school boardmeeting will be held at 6 p.m., January 22, 2002 in the centraloffice board room.