A long time teacher and administrator in the Lincoln CountySchool District officially announced his retirement via a letter tothe school board during its Tuesday meeting.

Carroll Joe Gunnell, currently serving as principal at EvaHarris Alternative School, will bring his 35-year career to a closeat the end of the school year.

“He’s going to finish the school year and then retire,” saidSuperintendent of Education Perry Miller, explaining that Gunnellwent ahead and sent in his letter of resignation so the districtwould have enough time to find a replacement.

During his career, Gunnell also had served as a math teacher atWest Lincoln Attendance Center and as a bus driver. He plans tocontinue driving a bus for the district after his retirement.

School board members started their first meeting of the yearwith the rotation of officers.

Brenda Warren became board president, Jerry Coon boardvice-president and Johnny Hart board secretary, while James Keenand Joann Holmes filled the positions of board members.

A little more greenery will soon surround some of the countyschools as board members accepted a proposal for the MississippiForestry Commission to plant trees on areas not used byschools.

The forestry commission will also be in charge of sitepreparation work at the schools, which include Enterprise and BogueChitto Attendance Centers.

Board members approved the transfer of $10,000 from ForestryEscrow Funds to the general maintenance funds for the expense ofplanting trees.

“We’re looking at it probably costing $4,000 or $5,000 to plantthese trees, and the rest of the money can be left in districtmaintenance,” Miller told board members.

Other projects that should be taking off within the next fewmonths include the improvement efforts at each of the four countyattendance centers.

Construction on a new library at West Lincoln, the removal ofthe old Bogue Chitto School building, bleachers at Enterprise and asewage system at Loyd Star should begin around the end of theschool year.

The district’s application for assistance from the MississippiPublic Schools Building Fund is being processed in Jackson.

“We’re waiting on them to notify us to advertise for bids forthe projects,” Miller said.

The funds will not cover the entire costs of the projects, butwill envelop a significant amount of the costs.

Other expenses discussed during the meeting include approval byboard members for the purchase of five digital cameras.

“These will be purchased out of her Chapter One federal money,”Miller explained to the board. “They use the cameras for takingpictures of projects and awards days and things like that.”

Miller pointed out how the digital cameras would be cheaper thancontinuing to use regular cameras because of film processingcosts.

The meeting came to a close followed by school board members anddistrict officials taking the first of their annual school tours atLoyd Star Attendance Center. The next school board meeting will beheld at 10 a.m., Jan. 22, at Enterprise Attendance Center.