After a long wait and confusion over deeds in the State Legal Counsel’s Office, it appears the former Georgiana High School and R.L. Austin Elementary School campuses will soon be in the hands of the Butler County Board of Education.

Board attorney Pete Hamilton reported at March’s regular board meeting the correct deed for the Georgiana property had been forwarded to Governor Bentley for his signature.

The deed actually includes both the former Georgiana campuses, the former Baptist Hill/BOE buildings and the old Dead Falls School property.

“Hopefully, we will have that in the next few days and the property will then be available to the BOE to put on the market,” Hamilton said.

“Unless the governor raises some questions, I don’t foresee a problem. This is a fairly routine occurrence.”

The Board formally recognized the assistant principals in the BCSD: Jennifer Burt, Georgiana School; Cincrystal Poythress, Greenville High; Ward Thigpen, GHS; Margaret West, Greenville Middle School; Ken McNaughton, GMS and Michael Gunter, McKenzie School. Jai Hill accepted the Clean Campus Award for Greenville Elementary School.

In Board business, the BOE voted to approve the following:

*Request for permission to advertise for bids for pest control services

*Request to purchase Child Nutrition Program equipment from Dixie Store Fixtures as the overall low bidder. Electric oven, convection steamer and combi oven are included for a total of $44,005.

*Request to renew Superintendent’s bond at $350 as required by State Law.

*Rewording of the Reduction in Workforce policy to make it more “objective.”

*Personnel report: Retirements-Susan Andrews, English teacher at McKenzie School and Cindy T. Smith Math and Physical Education teacher at McKenzie School.

Resignations: Parker Ellis, Physical Education teacher, Greenville Middle School, Andrew Michael McClellan, Elementary teacher at McKenzie School and Edward Menefee Jr.,  Special Education Services teacher, Georgiana School. Request for retroactive employment date for Willie Earl Lewis to first day worked on January 31, 2001 from February 22, 2011).