Dr. Ben Cox officially took the reins as the new superintendent for the Brookhaven School District at Thursday night’s school board meeting, but not without first recognizing interim superintendent Stephanie Henderson for a job well done.

The first order of business for the board Thursday night was to get approval of the contract for Cox’s employment with the district. The contract was presented by board attorney Robert Allen and unanimously accepted.

Then Cox presented a resolution of appreciation to Henderson.

“We hereby resolve that Stephanie Henderson provided outstanding leadership, in a time of need, with excellence and honor,” Cox said of the interim superintendent. He then named Henderson as deputy superintendent.

Henderson stepped into the interim role when former superintendent Lisa Karmacharya left the district in June 2013.

School board chairman Willie Harrison said Henderson’s leadership reminded him of the dignity he said was “old school” in today’s world.

“You ran the district with the utmost respect,” he said. “Thank you for what you brought back to the district.”

In other business, board members settled 16th Section land business, adopted new policies and strategies, learned about new requirements from the Mississippi Department of Education concerning financial reports and discussed possible makeup days for the snow and ice days this week.

In 16th Section business, board members:

• Agreed to release a performance bond to Monticello Forest Products in the amount of $1,000.

• Agreed to get bids on the purchase of rock and gravel for needed roadwork on 16th Section property.

• Accepted the lowest bid on planting trees on an estimated 45-plus acres coming from Anthony Bull with Faith Forestry.

• Accepted the highest bid on timber from clear-cutting from Weyerhaeuser Co., which was $268,176.

• Accepted the lowest bid to thin timber on 17-plus acres from Monticello Forest Products.

Henderson updated the board on new state policy concerning first-graders. She explained that there is now a regulation in place that states all students must be screened for speech and language problems by the end of first grade.

Board members will have a chance to look over the policy and move to adopt it at the next meeting in February.

Henderson also presented a new “Dropout Prevention and Restructuring Plan.” The board accepted it unanimously.

District accountant Susan Henderson also had new policies from the Mississippi Department of Education. In November 2013 the MDE sent her a list of four reports that will be required each month by the state.

• Bank statements, reconciliation and certification.

• Statement of revenues and expenditures and current budget status.

• Cash flow statement by month along with an accumulated balance.

• Current fund equity balances.

Cox then presented to the board several potential makeup days for the recent snow days.

Possible makeup days are Feb. 17, a staff development day, April 18, Good Friday, and May 23, the Friday of the last week of school. A decision will be made at the next board meeting.

In other business board members:

• Accepted a donation from Bruckner’s School Photography in the amount of $753.64 to Alexander Junior High.

• Accepted a donation of $3,290 from Brookhaven Elementary PTA to the school.

• Accepted a donation of $950 from the Brookhaven Hardwood Booster Club to the district to reimburse them for a charter bus used by the basketball team.

•Approved the fundraisers for the following: varsity cheerleaders, Mamie Martin PTA, and the track and field team.

• Accepted three student transfers into the district.

In closing, Cox made a special thanks to payroll employees who came in and put in extra hours to make sure district employees got their paychecks despite the inclement weather.

The board will meet again at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 11, in the district office at 326 E. Court St.