The building of a softball practice field was approved by the Quitman Independent School District (QISD) was approved at the recent school board meeting. The cost of the field is not to exceed $10,000 and could be as low as $6,000. The funds for the practice facility were in the budget coming from the fund balance.

Assistant Superintendent James Young had studied the need for a practice facility. “Softball is the only one of our athletic programs who don’t have their own facility,” Young said. “Occasionally we have overlapping scheduling problems with the Quitman Youth Foundation. The need their field too.”

Superintendent Rhonda Turner said it is a simple practice facility with no frills. “The funds for this are from the current budget. There is absolutely no money from the bond just passed being used on this project,” Turner said.

The practice field will be north of the high school just west of the current track and practice football field. “We need to make sure people know that no bond money is being used for this,” board member Jane Herring said.

Turner reported the district enrollment was at 1,127 and the roof work at Delbert Ballard Memorial Gym and in the field house were near completion.

The board adopted a resolution regarding the proposed bid for the sale of property at 209 Conger Avenue in Quitman. The building is shared by Quitman, Mineola, Alba- Golden, Hawkins, and Yantis school districts. They are members of Wood County Special Education shared services arrangement.

In other actions the board approved:

• the consent agenda with the monthly financial statement, previous board meeting minutes, check payments, and donations

• first reading of TASB policy update 104

• instructional materials allotment and TEKS certification for 2016-2017

• to grant the superintendent to hire and issue contracts to certified staff during the summer