The Picayune School Board of Trustees held its monthly meeting Tuesday afternoon. At the beginning of the meeting, the Board received an update from Joaunn Lee, Director of the Picayune Career and Technology Center.

Lee told the Board that Leo Raverty, the District’s automotive program instructor, recently received recognition from the national technology automotive program.

Lee also said that last year, Raverty applied for a grant of $24,000 to buy additional equipment. From June to December, Raverty worked many late nights in order to ensure the necessary documents were completed. In mid-December Raverty and Lee heard that the automotive program had received the grant.

Raverty said the grant will give students an opportunity to work with a vehicle newer than the year 2000, which hadn’t happened before.

Lee also said that the architecture program, led by Jason Childs, will now be a three-year program starting next school year. The course will focus on class projects at a higher level and partner with Pearl River Community College.

Lee said that any student who completes a two-year program at the Picayune Career and Technology Center and has a GPA of 90 and above, can receive a full scholarship to PRCC. If a student has a GPA between 80 and 89, that person is eligible for a half scholarship.

The Board also approved a motion to accept a bid for waste disposal services. After hearing all three bids, the Board approved the bid from Boudin’s Waste for $5,273.91.

Waste Pro submitted a bid for $9,170 per month and Waste Management turned in a bid of $6,479 per month.

“We have worked with them before and they have done a great job,” Assistant Superintendent Brent Harrell said about Boudin’s.