Brookhaven High School will expand its parking once purchase of property near the school is finalized.

The Brookhaven School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously Tuesday to purchase several adjoining vacant lots on the east corner of East Monticello and Henry Myers streets. Superintendent Ray Carlock said the three lots will cost the district about $17,000.

The lots will be cleaned up and topped with gravel, he said.

In other business Tuesday, trustees approved 5-0 to declare a state of emergency at Alexander Jr. High School and gave emergency approval of all expenses associated with the replacement of a chiller at the school.

A wire short caused a rotary compressor to blow out which caused the air conditioning chiller to fail last week.

“To get one to get here to get it put in before school starts in August we have but one choice, and that is to declare a state of emergency,” he said. “There is absolutely no way around it.”

He said the chillers are usually built to order, but one was located at the plant and a vendor will be able to get it in time to install before school starts.

The repairs to the chiller were on the list of improvements to be completed with the money from an $8 million bond sale.

The board also approved:

• The appointment of Linda Long as a teacher at the high school with Principal David Martin to serve as her supervisor. Carlock, Long’s brother, stepped out of the meeting for the discussion and vote.

• Purchase of a school bus during Fiscal Year 2020.

• Bank of Brookhaven as the school district bank depository at 2.4 percent for three years and the other bidders — First Bank, State Bank & Trust, Pike National Bank and Trustmark National Bank — be approved as depositories for investment purposes. Trustee Robb Massengill, who works at Bank of Brookhaven, left the meeting for the discussion and vote.