The Durant ISD Board of Education held a meeting on Monday and approved employment for a number of certified personnel positions for the 2010-2011 school year.

The following were named as new personnel: Kim Podany, counselor at DHS; Chad Rumer, girls basketball coach at DHS; Amy Littrell, softball coach at DHS; Kelly Kane, vocational director at DHS; LouAnn Lively, cheerleading coach at DHS; Aaron McCoy, assistant principle at DIS; Rachel Shelton, counselor at REL; Natalie Blackburn, third grade teacher at NWH; Jessica Boes, third grade teacher at WI.

Board members approved resignations of certified personnel: Laura Beth Larkin, WI Kindergarten teacher; Stephanie Lowry, DHS government and economics teacher; Marcia Stewart, DMS Spanish teacher; Perry Turnbow, DHS softball coach; and Celena Weaver, DIS fifth grade teacher.

Board members also approved resignations of support personnel: Cynde Chase, NWH library assistant; Bobby Sliger, transportation and floor crew; April Toombs, DMS teacher assistant; Tammie Wallace, child nutrition program; Bethany Whitehurst, DMS teacher assistant; and Sharon Wadley, DISD business manager and clerk of the board.

In other reports, the new high school’s completion date is now scheduled for August 1, 2011 as a result of a new total of 57 days lost to weather since the beginning of construction.

To date, $6 million has been spent and the project is approximately 18 percent complete.

According to a document, excavation work is 90 percent complete and the site electrical work began in May.

In June, crews will complete site water and sewer utilities and continue site electrical. Crews will complete the crawlspace drain system, structural steel in the administration areas, concrete floor slab in the media center and administration areas and the mechanical, electrical and plumbing work in the main building. Crews will also begin metal stud and CMU walls, dampproofing and fireproofing. In the field house and Vo/Ag buildings, crews will complete the grade beams.