PINEVILLE — The Pineville Board of Education meeting on Monday began with an update on the progress of the upcoming renovations. In addition to updating the heating and cooling systems in Pineville Elementary School, the district will also see the addition of a new gymnasium with a projected seating capacity of 1,368.

Bill Richardson of Richardson Associates Architects joined the meeting to discuss the plans for the structure, beginning with use of a series of trusses to reinforce the foundation. The combination of gravel, clay and sand that appeared in the sample taken by Richardson Associates would be too weak to carry the weight of the new structure alone. The system of concrete trusses, similar to those used in construction of buildings in sandy areas like Florida, will penetrate the earth below at 38 to 42 feet and provide a stable base for the project.

Superintendent Michael White regarded this projection as “really, a positive thing.” The board was aware that such measures would be needed, and an estimate of up to 60 feet had been expected.

The plan also includes new lighting structures for the football field. According to Richardson, four new lights will be erected that will provide a uniform level of light. Each light provides about 5,000 hours of illumination and are built for easier upkeep. Though the project has not broken ground yet, all basic design plans are agreed upon and the project should be completed sometime next year.

The board also covered the district’s “needs assessment” which is focused on academic and non-academic initiatives. In academics, Pineville Independent Schools will be focusing on raising the level of expectations for test results and achieving a standard of proficiency for every child, specifically on state exams and portfolios.

In the non-academic category, the district will be working to improve communication between faculty and parents. The school’s automated dialing system will soon be working again after being out of operation last year. It will provide calls to parents of absent students and may even allow teachers to contact an entire class regarding events and assignments of particular importance.

In addition, the school plans to incorporate regular open house events and add new features to the school’s website. The board is hoping to include a webpage for each class and has already implemented a system of portal accounts that parents can sign up for to get reports of their child’s academic progress.

The board also approved a number of measures including: updated student handbooks, cafeteria/custodial bids, policies and procedure updates, assurance and assistance, personnel updates and personnel evaluations. Funding received from the Federal Stimulus Plan has kept Pineville Independent Schools from reducing faculty and has even allowed it to include Student Services as a classified position.

Senior class pictures will be taken Monday, August 10th, the day before school starts back. The 2009-2010 athletic schedules have been released.

Lorie Settles is a correspondent for the Middlesboro Daily News. Contact her via e-mail at correspondent@middlesborodailynews.com.