DEMOPOLIS &8212; Westside Elementary School is in the beginning stages of development for a new addition. Incoming Superintendent of Education Wayne Vickers said at Wednesday&8217;s board meeting that the workers are currently in the site preparation phase and should be breaking ground within the next couple of weeks.

The new addition to the school will house mainly second grade classrooms, but the addition should boost the condition of the whole school. Vickers reports that the addition should be ready for use by the second semester of the upcoming school year.

According to outgoing superintendent Dr. Wesley Hill, enrollment for kindergarten at the school has been fairly high and they anticipate that the second grade classes should be similar.

The board also passed a motion that would accept a bid from Rice Heating and Cooling of Demopolis for a new air conditioning unit at the Westside Elementary School kitchen.

An update from Aretha Littles indicated that the summer food program has been fairly successful. So far, about 55 students have benefited from the meals that have been served all week. Those that come for breakfast have been fewer.

Gina Johnston, the federal funds and secondary curriculum coordinator, reported that next week, all four schools will have new surveillance cameras installed at their locations.

At the meeting, several resignations were approved by the board including Matt Geohagen, a math teacher and assistant coach at DHS; Tia Lawrence, a teacher at U.S. Jones; Freddy Lawrence, a health teacher and assistant coach at DHS; Nancy Tyson, a chemistry and science teacher at DHS; Brooke Davis, a teacher at U.S. Jones and Dusty Davis, a social science teacher and assistant coach at DHS.

Dr. Hill also took a moment to thank the board for their hard work in coordinating the effort with yesterday&8217;s voting on the renewal of the millage tax.

Other motions that were approved during the meeting include:

4The creation of an application for federal funding that can be used to get funding for the career tech program and other programs.

4Two field trips for Demopolis areas students: the DMS seventh grade classes will attend the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery on March 5, 2008 and DHS band will attend the Southern Championship Quarter Finals in Murfeesboro, Tenn.