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The Demopolis City School District is working to make sure all of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning units are in proper working order for the cold snap later this week.

Superintendent Bobby Hathcock said he wanted to test the units out prior to when they need them when overnight temperatures could fall close to freezing on Thursday and Friday.

“I guess with the situation we had with the air conditioning units, I have asked the maintenance crew to turn them on and to see if they are working properly,” Hathcock said. “We want to make sure the units are in proper working order before we need them. If they aren’t, hopefully, we can troubleshoot them quickly and get them working.”

Hathcock said they are also waiting on the architect and engineering crew to show the plans for the HVAC unit they are replacing at the high school gymnasium.

“I’m pushing as hard as I can,” Hathcock said. “I know the other unit is still working. If we can get this unit replaced, maybe that will help the other unit last a little longer.”

Hathcock said they are still looking into a fire that occurred in the DHS cafeteria.

“I’ll know more in a little while, but everything seems to be OK,” Hathcock said. “It’s not something we want to hear, but the fire department and people are up there. So we should be OK.”

Hathcock said there were no injuries with the fire. He hopes to know more later in the week.

While the school board was pleased to see the property tax renewal for Demopolis pass, it was concerting to several of them that the other renewal did not pass.

“That needs to be a wake up call to all of us because nobody really got out there and talked about very much,” Hathcock said. “Plus they did the vote right after everybody got their taxes notices and said everybody’s taxes are increasing. They got it at a bad time. IYou just have to emphasize to people that’s a renewal.”

In other business, the board:

• Approved the financial report with over six months in reserves in the general fund budget.
• Approved leave for lunchroom worker Cleopatra Jones and for teacher Lana Little at Westside Elementary School. They also granted leave to lunchroom worker Brandi Cross at Demopolis Middle School.
• Approved partnership between the district and West Alabama Mental Health Clinic to provide counseling services to district students.
• Approved disposing a piece of equipment from its inventory.
• Held a first reading of a new policy on nurse funding for out-of-school activities.
• Approved Kinder Morgan to hold a pipeline meeting at the high school gymnasium.
• Destroyed qualifying special education and gifted records per district, state and federal policies.
• The next meeting will be Thursday, Dec. 12, at 5:15 p.m.