By Rupert Howell
North Panola School board members approved hiring an architectural firm to begin design on an air-conditioning system for North Panola High School gymnasium during Monday’s monthly meeting held at NPHS library.
Administrator Michael Britt responded to trustee Trosiki Pettis’ question stating the project should be complete, “by the end of July or first of August,” when asked for a time frame.
Although gymnasiums are not required to be air conditioned as are classrooms, Britt explained at a previous meeting that the gym was used for physical education classes requiring it to be cooled.
During the relatively short meeting, three people chose to use the three-minute time slot allotted to visitors to voice their concerns.
Local political activists Julius Harris who is a regular at trustee meetings held a petition in his hand calling for the continued employment of Como Elementary School principal Angela Ellison stating that he had a petition with 200 names backing his request that he would deliver the following day.
Trustees do not discuss personnel matters or individual student discipline matters during open session, but Ellison’s name was included in the previous month’s agenda under employee retirements and resignations.
Briefly speaking before the board was Yolanda Taylor who said the three minutes allowed was not enough time for her to discuss her concerns about the disciplinig and reporting of her child.
She also heard trustees being advised against discussing individual student discipline matters in open meeting by the attorney Jim Keith who was present via teleconferencing.
Letha Wiley who also signed in to speak during Monday’s meeting, said she would later have conversations with Superintendent Cedric Richardson and Administrator  Britt stating, “Because I’m very displeased with what’s going on.”
During the monthly meeting trustees accepted donations of $600 from Guaranty Bank, $100 from Buckeye Farms and /$10,000 from Gateway Tire and Service Center for the North Panola athletic department.
School bus turnarounds approved included Jennifer Wren of 24 Birge Road, Como and Harold Lewis of 410 Wesson St., Como.
Claims were approved in the amount $120,109 in district maintenance, federal and other programs while $49,377 was spent for the school’s food service.
Trustees also approved a “Boot Camp” for third graders in preparation of the third grade reading gate test that determines whether a student can pass on to the next grade.
The North Panola school trustee board meets traditionally each third Monday at NPHS library at 6:30 p.m.