An unsure budget for the next school year left Lincoln CountySchool Board members with little options for filling vacantpositions or starting construction projects in the district.

While looking for ways to make up for a possible budgetshortfall, board members hesitantly opted to charge $300 in tuitionfees to every out-of-district student. School board members did notcomment while approving the tuition charge at the Tuesdaymeeting.

In previous meetings, they had talked about how much tuitionwould help the district compensate for the over 100 extra studentsin the district.

The board also opted to leave vacant positions open until aneducation budget is approved by Mississippi legislators, whoearlier Tuesday approved a funding plan that will be about $60million less than what school districts had hoped. Details of thestate budget plan were not immediately available to local schoolboard members.

“Anybody’s that retiring or resigning, we’re not going toreplace them right now,” said Superintendent of Education PerryMiller.

He added that of the five or six positions, one was left openafter the resignation of Bogue Chitto Football Coach Carl Cole.

Another coaching change will be at West Lincoln, where footballcoach Andy Smithie resigned and was replaced by Willie A. Brumfieldfrom Petal School District.

Last night, board members approved new contracts for allemployees currently working in the district.

The board also decided to move driver’s education courses tosummer, which will free up some teaching expenses.

They hope to receive full funding for the budget so that plannedconstruction projects may begin soon. Board members have alreadybid out the addition of a library at West Lincoln, a sewage systemat Loyd Star, demolition of the old Bogue Chitto School buildingand new bleachers at Enterprise.

“I feel as though we don’t need to do anything yet until thestate lets us know what they’re going to do,” said Miller.

He pointed out, though, that the project at Bogue Chitto wouldtake priority and should proceed as planned.

“I think we need to go ahead and do that. That’s a lawsuitwaiting to happen,” said Miller, mentioning how unstable thebuilding is at this time.

Board members agreed and approved the bid for the project. Theydid not accept bids on any of the three other projects.

In other matters, the board approved a move of the FamiliesFirst and Intervention/Prevention programs to a vacant building onUnion Street.

The programs were held at Eva Harris, but have received minimumresponse because of the condition of the part of the school wherethey were located, said Jason R. Case, program director.

“The district will be out no additional expenses,” Millerexplained to board members, who then approved the move.

The next school board meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m., April15 in the district’s central office.