Monday night's regular meeting of the Wilkes County Board of Education brought good news on high school graduation for this year and next.

Six seniors who had met every other graduation standard but were being held back by a point or two on the Georgia High School Graduation Test received waivers and will graduate with their class this Friday, W-WCHS Principal Andrew Jackson said. Jackson had applied for variance waivers for nine students and six were granted. "I'm happy to say we're putting six more in the line to graduate Friday night," he said.

The other good news was that the percentage of 11th graders who passed the GHSGT this year has increased, in some areas dramatically. Wilkes County students met or exceeded the state average scores in all but one area, and that was only one point lower than the average.

The big improvement came in the science portion of the test. Last year, only 49 percent of Wilkes County eleventh graders passed the science portion on the first try. This year, 73 percent passed on the first try, which is slightly better than the state average.

Ninety-five percent of the Wilkes eleventh graders passed the English/ Language Arts portion of the test, 94 percent passed the Math test; and 90 percent passed the Social Studies portion of the test.

Six eleventh graders made perfect scores on the graduation tests.

Washington-Wilkes received accolades, too, at the recent Schools of Excellence Dinner in Atlanta, primary school Principal Dr. Rosemary Caddell said. Governor Sonny Perdue, state schools superintendent Kathy Cox, and others were present as the school received their award for the seventh year.

The W-W elementary school and high school were recognized for their lunchroom programs in a letter from Cox, school superintendent Joyce Williams reported, for exceptional participation in the school lunch program and the breakfast program.

Williams requested a date change for the regular June meeting of the Board, and Board members agreed to move the meeting from June 19 to Thursday, June 15.

During the Superintendent's Report, Williams passed out to Board members copies of proposed contracts for the construction of the planned school complex on the Elberton Highway. The contracts were worked out, Board attorney Jim Roberts said, with the help of a spe cialist in such agreements. Board members agreed that they needed time to study the proposed contracts, and agreed to call a meeting later this week.

Williams continued her update of the construction project, saying that Torrance Company wants to put in a temporary road, trailer, and temporary power, and that permission would be given. She also said that the sign that had been put up was not big enough, but that the company agreed to put a larger and higher sign up.

A topographic map of the site was being prepared, she said, but was not in hand yet. The map was required to start the bidding process for the first stage of construction, she said.

Board members discussed the process of providing utilities to the new school site. Williams said that the fire marshal had yet to determine if the 6-inch water main would be enough for fire protection. If it was not, she said, a water tank would be provided by the City of Washington.

In other Board business, Board Chairman Ricky Callaway opened bids for the upkeep of the system's athletic grounds. The only bid was by the current provider of the service, Phil Tanner, who said in his bid he had to increase his bid slightly due to the cost of fuel. Tanner had a letter of recommendation from Coach Russell Morgan, endorsing his care of the fields.

Board member Bob Guin commented that people had told him that areas around the baseball dugouts weren't being kept cut, and that last softball season, some fields weren't ready.

The superintendent recommended that the single bid be accepted, and Board members, with the exception of Guin, voted to do so.

Callaway also opened bids for additions to the fire alarm system for the primary school - door holders, smoke detectors, and heat detectors. Board members accepted the low bid, that of Augusta Sound, for $3,399.

Chief Financial Officer Dean Ware gave the financial report, saying that the state audit is complete but that he is still waiting on the auditors' report.

SPLOST collections were going well, back to normal after the recent $222,000 one-month spike in revenues. He said that the Board might like to get the next SPLOST in front of voters well in advance of the end of the present tax.

The meeting adjourned into executive session for personnel.