PINEVILLE — With the new Bell County Area Technology Center almost completed and the Bell County Board of Education making plans to move classrooms and potentially offices into the facility, the old vocational school will either need occupancy or to be sold, according to school officials.

Superintendent George Thompson brought up the issue at Monday’s regular board meeting.

“The question is, what can you do to protect it to keep it from being vandalized?” Thompson asked.

Even though there are houses around it, that may not be sufficient to keep it from being vandalized.” Thompson said they’ve already looked into using it as a warehouse. He said there’s also a possibility of selling it, but said that would be hard because it’s so close to the athletic fields.

To keep the building occupied until a more permanent measure can be taken, Thompson suggested even putting a custodian on the premises at night or putting maintenance headquarters there. If the building is kept in use, though, he said that the school system would then be burdened with paying utility bills for the building.

Vaughn and Melton Engineer Clint Goodin informed the board that construction on the new vo-tech building is nearly finished.

“On Friday, the state came in and gave us a certificate of substantial completion of temporary occupancy, pending the finality of the building,” said Goodin. “With that, the school system is able to come into the building and move things in.”

Thompson said they are planning a tour of the building for board members very soon.

The board voted to put school in session on March 19, April 5-9 (spring break), and May 31 (Memorial Day) because of days missed for snow.

The board also discussed the status of getting roofs replaced at Bell County High School and Bell Central. Thompson said a possibility would be getting prefabricated roofs installed on top of the existing roofs for an estimated cost of $800,000.

The board approved the following:

•Grant applications

•2009-10 school year calendar

•Code of Conduct Committee Members

•FRYSC grant applications

•FRYSC School District Assurance Certification

•Allowing Pineville Independent to use their Vision Teacher services with reimbursement

•Shortened school day for a student

•Change in schedule for 2010-2011 school staffing formula

•2009-2010 Title I contract with Clay County

Stephen Woodward is a Staff Writer for the Daily News. He may be contacted at swoodward@middlesborodailynews.com.