Auditor praises Rusk ISD as being among best
BY GLORIA JENNINGS

"In my opinion the audit we do here is the best we do," Rachel Payne of the auditing firm of Robinson & Payne told the Rusk school board Monday evening. Ms. Payne said the audit was the cleanest of any of the schools she does. "We appreciate your cooperation and I always enjoy coming to Rusk and doing your audit."

Following the audit report the board voted to transfer $200,000 from the general fund to the building fund. "We have an excess of $400,000 in the general fund and I recommend that this money be transferred," Lesa Jones, financial director for the district said. Another million dollars was transferred to the building fund in the new budget. Currently the building fund totals $4.173 million, she said.

Superintendent Dr. Jim Largent said, "We hope we will have enough in the building fund to take care of our new project (high school gym)."

Blueprints for the new high school gym are expected to arrive late this week. "The blueprints will be at the administration office and you will be able to come by and look at them," Dr. Largent told the board.

The new structure will cost in the neighborhood of $4 million and will seat 1,208 persons. This will include 1,045 fixed stadium seats.

"We will have a guaranteed price from our construction manager Berry & Clay by the January board meeting," he said.

The board voted to accept Brownsboro into the Supernet II Consortium for internet service. New schools are added on the approval of the membership.

The board approved a request from the Cherokee County Appraisal District to purchase the Tosh Insurance building.

Purchase of two 71 passenger regular buses for $73,754 each and an air conditioned 71 passenger bus for $81,845 was approved.

The air conditioned bus will be used for trips outside the district and will not be used for regular bus runs. The total approved bid price of $229,353 was made by Longhorn Bus Co., which has an office in Lufkin.

Following an executive session Ashley McElroy was employed as a teacher-coach.

Board members attending the meeting were President David Fulton; Vice-President Dr. Anthony Holcomb; Secretary Frances Long; and Roy Cavazoz, Rodney Hugghins, Britt Patterson and Mike Ross.

The next school board meeting will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2008, at the school administration building.