With the heat pounding the area in recent weeks, the Malta Bend Board of Education decided to pounce on an opportunity to add air conditioning to more classrooms.

The board voted Monday, Aug. 20, to authorize preliminary electrical work that will make it possible to add window air conditioners to classrooms on both floors of the school.

Pre-school teacher Lora Kiehl told the board she had been in contact with a number of people who were willing to donate air conditioning units.

"If you can get the power, I can get the machines," she said.

Board member Gary Shay said the costs of wiring would be in the neighborhood of $13,000 or so.

The project does not include air conditioning for the band room, agriculture classroom or gymnasium.

Money for the project will come from part of a $50,000 donation made several months ago from local ethanol plant Mid-Missouri Energy.

Board President Art Madden said moving quickly on the project might help the school stay on schedule if it could avoid having to cancel school because of high temperatures.

"It might keep us in school a couple of days in September" that might otherwise have been cancelled, he said.

The board also approved a revised school calendar, correcting what Superintendent Melissa Vesser said appeared to be oversights in the original version.

Good Friday was added as a day off for students and school will now be held the Friday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The board also approved

-- A mentor handbook for teachers,

-- A summer school program evaluation,

-- Bus routes,

-- A nutrition plan with the understanding that more vegetables will be included in the menu and

-- Purchase of an on-line curriculum development tool.

Contact Eric Crump at

marshalleditor@socket.net