The Meridian Public School District Board of Education officially approved naming the library at Carver Elementary School as the Maeola Turner Library during its monthly board meeting Monday.

Carver, which was formerly used as a middle school, was reopened this year as an elementary school for kindergarten through fifth grades. The move was part of a reconfiguration of the school district’s elementary schools.

The late Maeola Turner was a longtime librarian at Carver Middle School, and former faculty and staff wanted to recognize her in the early 1990s by dedicating the library in her memory. The school board took official action Monday to do just that.

“We appreciate the school board for taking official action in recognizing Mrs. Turner for her dedication and love of reading that she bestowed upon Carver students,” said MPSD Superintendent Dr. Amy Carter.

Also during Monday’s meeting, the school district and school board recognized three individuals with certificates of appreciation for helping to ensure the re-opening of Carver as an elementary school went smoothly: Clay Sims, director of operations for Meridian Public School District; Ricky Hood, chief executive officer of the Boys and Girls Club of East Mississippi; and Trevelle McGlothin, asset management coordinator for the Meridian Housing Authority.

Among other business at the meeting, the school board:

•approved asking the City of Meridian to designated two-way traffic on 24th Avenue leading to Meridian High School. Currently, the street is for one-way traffic;

•approved an agreement with Mississippi State University to provide federal work study student tutors to the Meridian school district;

•approved reassigning the grounds maintenance contract at Crestwood Elementary School from the current lawn service business to the second lowest bidder for the work, All In One Lawn Service, because the current lawn service provider has not been able to handle the workload, according to officials. The cost for grounds maintenance will rise from $17,500 to $19,240;

•approved a change order for repairs to the surface water drainage system for the basement area of the boys gym at Meridian High in hopes it will prevent flooding that keeps plaguing the building. The work will add another $14,500 to the overall renovation project; and

•approved a bid from TimcoAcre LLC for site preparation herbicide treatment on 67 acres of 16th Section Land at a cost of $5,024 and a recommendation from the Mississippi Forestry Commission for proposed services to 16th Section lands and timber sales at a cost of $8,554.