No power? No problem for School Board

A little thing like no electricity did not stop the Oconee School Board from conducting some important financial business. The trustees convened a meeting in the lobby of their headquarters in Walhalla—-a meeting illuminated by natural light through the windows from the outdoors. Dr. Michael Thorsland, county superintendent, wanted the meeting to finish paying off the $54 million new Walhalla High, which is in the final stage of construction. To do that, the board of trustees today unanimously approved a resolution to sell up to $13.5 million worth of bonds to generate what’s needed to complete paying the bill for what is the county’s first new high school in about 25 years. The trustees also revised their current budget numbers to reflect a projected current operating deficit of $3.1 million—down from the $3.5 million that was earlier projected.