CARRIERE — Pearl River County school superintendent Alan Lumpkin told the school board on Monday that the PRC school system infrastructure sustained “minimal damage, little damage” from Hurricane Isaac, which pelted the Carriere-Picayune area with record torrential rainfall Aug. 28 through 31. Twenty-two inches of rain were recorded at a Picayune tracking station.

He said preliminary surveys had shown that the school system “rode out” the slow moving storm with as little structural damage as possible for the amount of winds and rains the Carriere area sustained. The area sustained gusts of between 60 and 70 mph. The PRC system has three campuses, one at Carriere and the other two at McNeill and Burgetown.

He said the major impact of the storm was that the school system lost four attendance days, resulting from the closing of schools as the storm slowly moved over the area.

He said state education officials will determine whether or not those days have to be “made up” or will be forgiven. The state board of education will by the end of the week make that decision for all schools affected by Isaac.

In another matter, assistant superintendent Nina Guthrie briefed the school board on the latest rankings of schools in the state assessment and state tests in subject areas.

Although most of the information she shared with the board is embargoed for release to the public until Friday, she said overall the PRC school district was graded a “successful” system.

Rankings higher are High Performance, and Star, the highest, which only a few state school systems ever achieve.

Ranked according to grade level, that would be a C.

However, PRC has set a goal to become a Star district by 2014, and Lumpkin told the board that while the system is progressing, the goal is still to reach that Star classification or level by 2014. “That is our ultimate goal,” he told the board, “and everyone is working to reach that goal.”

In other matters, the board recognized 2011-12 Star teachers. Star teachers are teachers that have a 3.5 growth rate or a Quality Distribution Index (QDI) state ranking of over 200. The QDI is used to rate schools based on student performance.

The Star teachers recognized with presentation of certificates were at the Pearl River Central Upper Elementary: Kelly Ax McFadden, Stacy Averett, Sherra Allen, Tina Boyte, Martha Cox, Keely Eastridge, Susan Keene, Kerri Herrin, Joni Miller, Nicole Mitchell, Janie Richard and Emily Smith; Pearl River Central Middle School: Pam Farr, Rhona Hayes, Tara Poolson, Leigh Allison Sorjonen, Renee Burge, Nelly Bates and Robin Jones; Pearl River Central High School: Christopher Sherman and Lori Lepine; and Pearl River Central Alternative School: Pamela Douglas.

In other matters, the board:

— Approved the Aug. 6 minutes.

— Heard Kimberly Alford make a presentation on the PRC school district Professional Growth Plan.

— Approved personnel recommendations.

— Approved the following school bus turnarounds for the 2012-13 school year: 164 Rovira Road, 1097 Bouie Road, 251 Baucum Road, 68 Robishaw and 387-B Mount Carmel Road. The turnarounds will be submitted to the board of supervisors for survey and approval by the county, which will allow the county to legally maintain the turnarounds.

— Approved the following out-of-state travel: To the Renaissance Festival in Robert, La., for George Denius’s special ed students on Nov. 13; to the North Minster Montessori School and Toys-R-Us in Slidell, La., for Mrs. Honsinger’s Early Childhood Development class on Sept. 28; to the Mahalia Jackson Theater of Performing Arts in New Orleans for Mrs. Craigs’ classes on May 11; to the Theater of Performing Arts, New Orleans, for Mrs. Craig’s Blue Masker’s students to attend a play on Nov. 3; to Global Wildlife in Robert for Rhonda Lindseth, Keely Eastridge and Peggy Miley’s classes for upper/lower elementary on Oct. 11, 12, and 19; to Slidell for industry visit requirement for Carol Honsinger’s classes on Oct. 3.

— Approved the following 16th section land matters: Approved to advertise for bids for 35.53 acres in Agricultural lease 16-5-16; to get appraisals for rend adjustment for 160-5-16, 3.81 acres, and 16-6-16, or 1.458 acres; to reclassify 125 acres in 31-3-15 to forestry; to cancel a farm lease for Greg Mitchell on eight acres on 16-6-16 at Mitchell’s request; and to reclassify eight acres on 16-6-16 to forestry.

— Went into an executive session to discuss a student matter.

— Adjourned.