Mineola School Board accepted gifts totaling $233,000 Monday and amended the budget by another $480,000 to cover furniture costs for the new primary school and soon-to-be reconfigured elementary school.

The Mineola Education Foundation donated a record $83,000 toward teacher grants which will be awarded soon. The district also received $150,000 from the Meredith Foundation which covers two of the district’s requests, $50,000 for scholarships and $100,000 toward the playground facilities at the new primary school.

Business Manager Keith Sparkman said it appears the district will have about $3 million available toward the conversion of the elementary school into a high school career and technology center.

Superintendent Cody Mize said that work is expected to begin in the fall.

The CTE center was the second item in a bond issue passed in 2022 for new facilities.

Construction at the primary campus remains on schedule, and teachers were planning to get a first look at their new classrooms Wednesday.

The district expects to move grades K-3 to that campus in time for the start of school in August. Grades 4-5 will be moving into the current primary, which will be repurposed for older students, including some of the new furniture.

Mize said the $480,000 furniture bid includes the addition of chairs for the cafeteria which were not part of the original bid, which included attached seating for the cafeteria tables.

Primary Principal Jole Ray said some of the furniture has reached the end of its useful life and could appear on the homecoming bonfire in the fall.

Mize noted that all school districts in Wood County will be in session on the day of the total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8. Mineola will have special activities for students. He acknowledged that there could be traffic delays in the afternoon.

The board approved the 2024-25 school calendar. Mize said spring break will be the third week in March (17-21)rather than the second week. School begins for students Aug. 15 and ends May 22.

The board meeting schedule was also set for the ’24-25 school year.

Sparkman noted enrollment is up to 1,678 and is almost back up to the record level set at the beginning of the school year.

The purchase of 226 Chromebooks for $67,000 was approved. Assistant Superintendent David Sauer said this depletes the federal funds the district received as part of the COVID-19 relief efforts.

In staff matters, contracts were approved for 144 members of the teaching staff for next year.

Contracts were also approved for Alyssa Bussell and Leslie Hudson for kindergarten teaching positions.

The contract of Dr. Tammy Willis, executive director of Wood County Special Services, was approved for an extension.

A resignation was approved for middle school teacher Cameron Stack.

The retirement of middle school secretary Jan Thompson was approved.

The retirement of high school health science teacher Cindy Robinson was rescinded.