On Monday, the Durant ISD Board of Education met to discuss surplus property and the purchase of new furniture for Durant elementary schools. The board approved declaring five Durant High School football helmets, a dust collection system from the Old Durant Middle School and all elementary classroom furniture at Northwest Heights Elementary, Robert E. Lee Elementary and Washington Irving Elementary to be declared surplus for sale at the highest quote at auction.

The board also approved a bid for classroom furniture for Durant elementary schools. Assistant Superintendent Duane Merideth said, “This was a very good deal.”

Superintendent Jason Simeroth gave the board a facilities update on the high school and said, “We’re still undergoing a few of the punch lists, but they’re getting fewer by the day.”

Dr. Simeroth also told the board about the following proceeds and donations: Lion Card proceeds from First Texoma Bank in the amount of $628.50; donation from the Durant Choir Boosters to the Durant Middle School in the amount of $3,433.14; donation from the M.D. Jirous Foundation, Inc. (Sonic) to Northwest Heights Elementary in the amount of $1,000; and a donation from Durant Education and Service Sorority to Durant High School, Durant Intermediate School, Robert E. Lee Elementary and Washington Irving Elementary in the amount of $100 each. “The participation from the community is outstanding,” he said. “We absolutely thrive on it.”

New hires for the 2011-2012 school year are as follows: Chris Counce, Durant Middle School 8th grade baseball coach; Molly Motensbocker, assistant girls’ soccer coach for the remainder of the school year; Earl Kennedy, transportation; and Truman Smith and Christopher Dickson, custodial crew. New hire for the 2012-2013 school year is Chuck Umstead, kindergarten teacher at Washington Irving.