The Durant School Board discussed several matters of business Thursday, including authorizing architects Claycomb & Associates and construction manager Steele and Freeman Inc. to issue documents for the bidding process on the new Durant High School.

Sharon Wadley, clerk of the board, said bid documents for the project’s construction will go out Feb. 5.

Assistant Superintendent Duane Merideth said the architects met with school officials Thursday, presenting a set of plans that is 95 percent complete.

Once bids go out, he said they should be back in mid-March.

“Our goal is to start building in mid-April. We should be able to do that,” Merideth said.

The new high school, which is being funded by a sales tax increase of five-eighths of one percent for the next 25 years, will cost $41 million to build. The new tax went into effect July 1.

The school board also examined the 2008 Fiscal Year audit report, presented by Jerry Putnam, a certified public accountant with the Durant school district’s auditing company, Yadon and Putnam.

Merideth said the independent company, based in Edmond, looked at the school district’s general, building, activity and sinking funds to make sure money was spent appropriately.

Putnam reported that all but one fund, the sinking fund, had a positive balance, meaning, the district took in more money than it spent.

The sinking fund, which includes bond money used for projects, equipment and transportation vehicles, was down slightly, but it usually is, Merideth said.

Putnam, whose firm has worked with the district for about 20 years, told the Durant school board he was very pleased with the way the school’s audit documents looked.

“I would certainly give you an A-minus. I don’t ever give A’s,” Putnam said.

“Our financial folks have done a tremendous job for years. Our audits are excellent,” Merideth said, including a special thanks to Sharon Wadley, Bonnie Webb, Kelly Dillard, Regina Sorrell and the billing department.

The school board also accepted resignations and new hires.

Resignations included Julie Birdsong, a first grade teacher at Washington Irving; Shirley Wallace, child nutrition; and bus driver Bart Granger, who is a new school board member.

Teachers resigning from extra duties include LeVisa Patterson, Durant Middle School track coach; Kent Pickens, DHS girl’s softball head coach; and Alicia Farley, DHS Key Club.

New hires include Jacque Dunegan, first grade teacher at WI, and Keith Crawford, fifth grade teacher at Durant Intermediate School.

New teacher assistants include Nancy Rodgers, Tara Sheid and Tiffany Hatch. New graduate assistants include Tanner Dupree, DHS boy’s soccer, and Kacie Roberts, DHS girl’s soccer.