WOODVILLE &045; About a dozen Wilkinson County High School seniors applied their skills as negotiators to avoid extending the school year by two days to make up for classes missed during hurricane season.

The group appeared before the Wilkinson County School Board on Wednesday after learning that the board had revised the school calendar last month to recoup the lost days, moving graduation from May 23 to May 28.

&uot;Some of our relatives have jobs where it’s hard to ask for leave as it is, and some of them have already scheduled to be off on that weekend,&uot; group spokesman Richard Stevenson said.

Students and board members discussed several options, including attending classes during Christmas holidays or spring break.

But board members were concerned about affecting employees’ and parents’ Christmas vacations, and the students said they have a class trip planned during spring break.

The two sides eventually agreed to a solution offered by School Superintendent Mildred McGhee, sacrificing Mardi Gras holidays on March 3-4 to make up the lost days.

Elsewhere, by a 3-1 vote the board adopted a resolution commemorating Fifth District board member Joe Johnson’s 13 years of service on the board.

Johnson &045; who was absent from Wednesday’s meeting &045; said in September he would not run for reelection.

Johnson told board members then that he was dissatisfied with the district’s management and no longer wanted to be on &uot;a losing team.&uot; Second District board member Emerson Delaney voted against Wednesday’s resolution honoring Johnson.

Since no one qualified to run for the seat in the fall election, the board will appoint an interim member when

Johnson’s term expires in January.

In other action, the board received some good news from Brian Berry of Bi-County Insurance Agency in Centreville regarding the district’s workman’s compensation insurance plan.

Berry said the district will pay $47,367 for workman’s compensation insurance this year&045;down $465 from last year.

Berry said despite an overall increase in premiums, the district has experienced fewer claims, which resulted in the lower cost.

&uot;It’s been a long time since I met with anybody and told them their rate went down,&uot; he said.