The Pearl River County School District may be getting a new elementary school, says Dennis Penton, PRC School District Superintendent of Education, at yesterday’s school board meeting.

During his superintendent’s report, Penton told the board that “class sizes keep increasing.”

“We have a lack of availability of space to put new classes. Eventually, if the problem is not fixed, we will have to go back to floating our activity teachers,” Penton said.

“Eventually, we will have to build another elementary school. We’ve reached a critical juncture in this matter, and I can see no way around it but to build another school,” he said.

Penton told the board that a new elementary school would take pressure off the high school and existing elementary school.

“This is a temporary fix to a long-term problem this school district has had for years,” Penton said.

He requested that the board allow him to get Jim Young to put together different financial scenarios that would incorporate cost analysis and the school district’s potential loan limit.

“This is the only thing we can afford with the space and money we have access to,” Penton said.

Penton also asked the board to allow him to hire two more assistant teachers to help with tutoring and direct instructions in the second grade classrooms.

“Although all our classes our experiencing phenomenal growth, the kindergarten and second grade classes are growing the most. The kindergarten classes are required to have assistants, but the second grade classes are not. I think this would really help our teachers out,” Penton said.

The board approved the superintendent’s recommendations.

In other business, the board:

— Approved the Title VI-B-2 Rural, Low Income School Program Grant and Assurances.

— Approved a weight lifting program for before and after school in the small weight room.

— Approved a donation of $100 from CMC Capitol Steel Slidell for the PRC Middle School Principal’s Fund.

— Approved the resolution designating Megan St. Clair as Applicant Agent for PRC School District with MEMA.

— Approved the PRC High School Dance Team/Colorguard Constitution for the 2006-2007 school year.

— Approved allowing the Carriere Volunteer Fire Dept. Station #1 to use the PRC High School campus for a benefit Firefighters Challenge on Oct. 4, 2006 and waive the facility fee.

— Went into executive session to discuss personnel, student and sixteenth section matters.