One more step toward bookkeeping organization was takenWednesday by the Lincoln County School District.

School board members approved the amended budget for the2001-2002 school year, and it will not be the only time they lookclosely at the budget and amend it to better fit the district’sneeds.

“We would like (the board) and administrators to meet at leastquarterly to amend the budget,” Frank Fortenberry, the district’sfinancial consultant said. “That way you’re not just amending it asa technicality every year, you’re really looking at throughout theyear.”

Superintendent of Education Perry Miller agreed that would be agood idea. He believes it will help keep board members andadministrators informed about how much money is available forexpenditures.

Board members will also get a detailed list of revenues andexpenditures each month.

Fortenberry updated the board about efforts to restructure thedistrict’s bookkeeping system, which was issued a disclaimer bystate auditors recently because of its disarray.

Fortenberry and Cheryl Shelby, the district’s new businessmanager, have been working with Ronnie Watson, the financialadvisor assigned to the district, for the last few months.

“We are making progress. We’ve got all the pieces in place andnow we’ve just got to put them together,” Fortenberry told boardmembers.

The trio plans to have records in order by Sept. 1, he added,when they will turn the records over to state auditors in hopes ofclearing the district of the disclaimer.

District officials continue to stress that the district is on”solid financial ground.” In fact, they are looking at startingseveral new construction projects during the upcoming year.

A new library at West Lincoln, sewer treatment facility at LoydStar, bleachers in the Enterprise gymnasium and demolition of theold Bogue Chitto school building are in the works.

Garland Wright, a representative of a construction company basedin Jackson, explained to board members last night his efforts toobtain funding for the projects.

He plans to utilize Mississippi Adequate Education Program(MAEP) funds and Public School Building Funds for the bulk ofexpenses.

In other matters, an additional teaching position came open inthe district when kindergarten classes at West Lincoln filled tobrim this week.

“We are in violation with 61 kindergarten students at WestLincoln, so we need to add another teacher there,” Miller said.”Twenty-eight is the absolute limit per class.”

The district will advertise for the position and hire aqualified teacher as soon as possible, he added.

An executive session resulted in school board members beinginformed of a pending lawsuit concerning 16th Section land.

They also discussed a student matter. Once they opened themeeting again, board members informed a Loyd Star high schoolstudent he could return to school this year after being expelledlast year.

Board members also decided to seek legal action to obtain aneviction notice for a 16th Section land leasee who has beendelinquent in payments for a long period of time.

The next school board meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m., Sept.4, at the central office on Monticello Street.