Brookhaven School district officials reported Tuesday thateverything is almost ready for the beginning of school in a fewweeks.

The district has almost a full staff and is in the process offinishing projects within the schools, the Board of Trustees weretold at a short meeting.

“We have filled most of our vacancies. Our teaching units areall filled,” said Superintendent Dr. Sam Bounds. “Also, we have nowfinished the far side of the high school.”

He said the east wing of the recently-renovated high school wascompleted with a loading dock, pavement and parking spaces. Otherareas of work included fresh coats of paints at many of theschools.

Another addition planned for the upcoming school year will benew bleachers for the BHS gymnasium.

The board accepted a bid of approximately $86,000 Tuesday forthe bleachers.

“We were extremely pleased with our basketball bleachers bid,”said Bounds. “We were expecting bids around $125,000.”

The new bleachers will include several rows of more spaciousseating, with seats expanded to 12 inches wide. Fans will be ableto take advantage of those seats on a first come, first servebasis.

Bounds first told board members he planned to have the largerseats on the first rows of the new bleachers, but that couldchange.

Board member Carl Aycock asked Bounds to look into thepossibility of putting the spacious seats in a more heavily usedarea of the bleachers.

“It seems like most of the adults sit not at the very top andnot at the very bottom. They sit somewhere in the middle,” hesaid.

Bounds said he would look into specifying where the larger seatswould go in the new set of bleachers before they are ordered, whichshould be shortly.

“Our time frame for installation will probably be around thefirst of November, which will run into our basketball season alittle,” said Bounds, mentioning the possibility of swapping homeand away games during the first part of the season to accommodatethe two-week installation.

In other matters, Aycock asked about the number of studenttransfers approved by the board Tuesday.

“We’re seeing an influx, especially in the lower grades, and I’manticipating another 75-80,” said Bounds, about the students cominginto the district from other school districts.

The meeting came to a close with an executive session to discusspersonnel matters. The next meeting will be held at 6 p.m., Aug.26.