At the Long County Board of Education’s October meeting, county board of elections Chairwoman Vanessa Cunningham provided information about the county’s plan to redraw the district lines for elected officials.

Cunningham said the county was required by law to redraw the lines because of dramatic growth in the area.

The ideal population for each of the five districts is 2,900 people, according to Cunningham.

Despite that goal, she said, some districts realistically would have more people than others. The chairwoman also said each of the districts would see an increase in population.

Cunningham said the county was in the process of making the proposed changes for the future, but she wanted to explain the plans ahead of time because the board would be affected.

Board Chairman Dempsey Golden reported that he attended the recent Georgia School Boards Association Advocacy Workshop. He said several issues needed to be brought to the board’s attention.

During the workshop, Golden said, those in attendance submitted to the Georgia State School Board a list of issues that concerned them. He said the state board would address the top five concerns after the list was compiled.

Golden said that according to estimates provided at the workshop, the state still is facing tough economic times and that the Long County BoE should not expect any revenue improvements from the state any time soon.

The chairman said he didn’t expect the Long County School System to receive any funds from the state for student transportation.

As a result, he said, the board would have to address the matter.

Golden said he also received information from the workshop regarding a continuing trend toward more parental control in the decision-making aspect of local boards.

He said one area of discussion involved defining a board meeting.

"As a board, we may be facing an attempt to define: ‘What is a board meeting?’" Golden said.

Long County High School Principal Scotty Hattaway reported that the school’s band, percussion unit and color guard team brought home a first-place trophy and an "all-superior" rating in their division from the Sound of Silver competition in Blackshear.

He said they also competed in the 22-band open division, where they earned another first-place finish and a second "all-superior" rating.

Hattaway added that Health Occupations Students of America club members Sarah Barrett, Mary Moses and Kylie Yancey recently competed in a state fair and were recognized with the statesman award. Yancey also was recognized for attaining a perfect score.

• Approved and maintained the current mileage rate of 13.5 for the 2011 tax digest.

• Approved Whitaker Laboratories, based in Brunswick, to conduct the construction testing services for the planned high school.

According to Superintendent Dr. Robert Waters, Whitaker Laboratories’ bid of $44,614 was the lowest submitted.

Board member Linda DeLoach said a list of bids is available at the board office.

• Approved Reggie Wilkes as the boys’ soccer coach at Walker Middle School.