Purcell’s Board of Education voted to hire METCO to do testing for the FEMA gym project at Monday’s meeting.

They hired Grubbs Consulting to do the engineering.

The board also voted in favor of entering into an agreement with the City of Purcell to employ a School Resource Officer.

“We are excited about that,” Superintendent Dr. Sheli McAdoo said. “We’ve been working on this for a long time.”

McAdoo said the officer would spend time at each campus every day.

“This initiative marks a significant step forward in promoting a safe and supportive learning environment for all our students and staff.

“We would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to the Purcell Board of Education, the Purcell City Council, and Chief Bobby Elmore for their foresight and leadership in bringing this initiative to fruition,” the superintendent said.

“Their commitment to the safety and well-being of our school community played a pivotal role in making this partnership possible,” McAdoo said.

A substantial amount of computer equipment was considered surplus and was to be put on the market, including keyboards, out-of-date Chrombooks, printers and monitors, among other items.

In conjunction with SB 381, which was passed in 2019, the school will be implementing a program in January of stocking inhalers in case a student has a medical emergency.

To begin the meeting, a presentation was made on the elementary counselor’s resources. The board also heard a report on the on-going Intermediate School after-school tutoring program.