More classroom additions for schools

Three more DeSoto County schools can expect to have new classrooms as part of its buildings next school year. 

The DeSoto County School District Board of Education Thursday, Nov. 5 approved agreements on bids for classroom additions at DeSoto Central Primary, Hernando High, and Pleasant Hill Elementary schools.

Plans are to build four additional classrooms at DeSoto Central Primary and at Pleasant Hill Elementary. A total of 10 new classrooms are to be added at Hernando High School.  

Legacy Construction Services was awarded the bid for the project at DeSoto Central Primary, Standard Builders will build the classroom additions at Hernando High, and at Pleasant Hill Elementary, the additions will be built by Murphy and Sons, Inc.

Bids for the projects were opened on Oct. 15.

Board members also approved requests to pay vendors, despite purchasing rule issues that occurred at DeSoto Central Middle, Southaven Middle, the Physical Plant Department, and the Transportation Department. 

There are specific guidelines about vendor purchases that are to be followed and the school board must approve payment when those guidelines are not completely adhered to. 

All purchases were approved but not before board member Sarah Doss-Thomas asked Associate Superintendent of Business Operations Keith Williams about the number of similar issues that have come up at recent meetings.  

Williams said there is a need for more training with bookkeepers and building administrators, “and we’re going to get that training out there,” he said.  

One other item from Thursday’s board meeting involved a revision in a board policy about certified or classified employees who work less than 230 days in a school year. 

If school is canceled for bad weather, those employees will not be required to come to work unless that day is declared a virtual school day, regardless of bad weather.  If the day is declared a distance learning day, then work is to be completed remotely by certified employees.