The Brookhaven School District’s 2001-2002 budget wassignificantly revised to more accurately reflect expenditures andrevenues Tuesday during the monthly school board meeting.

Sandra Earnest, who has served as the district’s financialdirector for 11 years, talked to board members about the changes,leaving them with good news as she prepares to head to ClintonPublic Schools for another job within the month.

“The expenditures have been decreased by $1.9 million, while therevenue increased $567,000,” Earnest told the board.

The revisions raise total revenue for the new year to $19.28million while expenditures will be down to $22.56 million, withsome capital improvements revenue being carried over from thecurrent year to make up the difference, Earnest said.

After the revised budget, along with the claims docket and fixedassets, were approved, board members thanked Earnest for hercommitment to the district.

They praised her hard work and wished her the best of luck inClinton.

Board members also spoke encouraging words to Susan Quin, whowas approved last night to fill Earnest’s position.

Quin has eight years experience as a certified public accountantwith the state tax commission, two years with a private firm andseveral years as a business manager and insurance adjustor.

“She has a very strong, diversified history,” Superintendent Dr.Sam Bounds said.

Quin said she had heard many wonderful things about the districtand was “happy to be aboard.”

In other matters of discussion, board members were updated onthe Brookhaven High School construction and renovation by projectsuperintendent Robert Freeman of Barranco Architects and CarothersConstruction Management.

He informed the board that the east building was “chilled” now,not because of the cold front, but because air conditioning hadbeen installed.

Grid work on the ceiling has also been completed as the buildingnears completion.

“If everything goes well, we’ll start putting ceiling tile in atthe end of week, definitely by Monday,” Freeman said, adding thatfloor tile will closely follow.

Ceiling tile work should begin in about a week in the westbuilding, with only a small amount of brick work left.

Roofs on all the buildings should be completed in approximatelya week if the fair weather continues, Freeman added.

“We’re looking pretty good,” he said.

As the meeting came to a close, Bounds took the opportunity toinform the board of a great honor some high school studentsreceived recently.

The Aging Services class won second place in the 2001 Volunteerof the Year program by the Mississippi Health Care Association forvolunteering at a local nursing home, he said.

The next scheduled school board meeting will be held at 6 p.m.,Oct. 23, at the central office.