There was hardly any discussion as the Pike County Board of Education breezed through its October meeting on Monday night.

The meeting began with an invocation and the board accepting the minutes from September’s meeting.

Pike County Schools Superintendent Dr. Mark Bazzell then took time to update the board on the status of construction projects going on in the school system. “The gym project [at Goshen High School] is complete,” Dr. Bazzell said. “We own the building, and we are in the process of getting the building insured. We’re waiting on the bleachers for the gym. Those are still being manufactured.”

Dr. Bazzell said the gym will be opened once the bleachers have been properly installed. “It will be a few weeks or more on the bleachers,” Dr. Bazzell said. “We’re hesitant to let people into the gym before the bleachers are properly installed. We hope to have a ribbon-cutting in the next few weeks.”

Dr. Bazzell also spoke about the softball field project that is set to begin at Goshen High School. “We’re going to begin construction on the softball field at Goshen,” Dr. Bazzell said. “We wanted to wait until after homecoming to start work on it. We have received a lot of donations for the project from Troy University, and we’re hoping to receive some light posts, which will significantly decrease the cost of the project.”

As the board moved on to new business, it quickly approved the financial statements and bank reconciliations from September and approved payment of payrolls for September.

The board appointed board member W. Greg Price to serve as delegate for the AASB’s 2013 convention from Dec. 5-7 in Birmingham.

The board also approved a resolution to request the transfer of the Shellhorn School, Anslety School and Gilmore St. in Brundidge deeds from the state of Alabama to the Pike County Board of Education. “This is a resolution that we approved last year, but the state has no record of the resolution,” Dr. Bazzell said. “We’re looking to get the deeds because we have some people interested in buying the properties.”

The board provided gas money for the Goshen High School competitive cheer squad to competed in the AHSAA cheerleading competition in Hanceville on Nov. 15-16. The board also provided permission for the Goshen JROTC cadets to attend the JCLC summer camp from May 29 to Jun. 2.

The board approved to new hires and accepted one resignation. The board approved the hiring of Ms. Yvette M. Akridge for a position teaching math at Goshen. The board also hired on Mr. Kelvin Larkin as a full-time bus driver.

The board accepted the resignation of Willie Long Jr. from his position of bus driver.

The board adjourned its meeting and will not meet again until November.