The Cherokee County Board of Education has voted to seek a $2.5 million bond issue for capital outlay (building) projects in the county school system.

During a recent board meeting, members gave Supt. Kay Davis the authority to proceed with the bond issue, which must be approved by the state. The first priority, she said, is getting rid of portable classrooms from the Cherokee County School System.

The state department, during the Siegelman administration, launched a campaign to rid the state of portable facilities and the Cherokee County School System made significant headway in complying. However, with continued growth and slowing of funds for building projects, the board was forced to add more portables.

The board has not set priorities at this time, but will meet on this issue in a work session to be held some time in the near future. Mrs. Davis noted that Cherokee County High School needs renovation.

On a related matter, the board gave Mrs. Davis the authority to check into prices for replacing the gutter system in the Spring Garden High School Gymnasium.

In other business, the board:

lmet in executive session for disciplinary hearings on two Career Quest students. Following the hearings, the board voted to place one student in the alternative school for the remainder of the current semester and also for the first nine weeks of the next semester and to place the other student in the alternative school for the remainder of the school year.

lvoted to provide matching funds to purchase a defibrillator for Spring Garden School. Spring Garden requested assistance with two of the devices, but to date, the board has only provided matching funds for one machine at other schools.

lvoted to accept bids on seven new school buses, to be purchased with fleet renewal funds.

lapproved the transfer of a student at Gaylesville School to Centre Elementary School because of hardship.

lapproved the transfer of a student from Centre Elementary School to Cedar Bluff School because of hardship.

lapproved taking bids on two trucks for the county bus shop to be paid for with proceeds from the sale of surplus equipment. One of the vehicles will be a four-wheel drive to be used in snowy and icy weather