County school students just got an early Christmas present – an extra half-day off of school in February.

The school board amended the 2013-2014 school calendar to reflect that Feb. 21 would be a full day winter break for students and a half-day for teachers’ professional development. Originally, the calendar showed a half-day for students and a half-day for professional development.

“We want to make this change to give students a winter break,” Superintendent Shannon Driver said.

“That strech between Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January and spring break in March is a long time,” he said. “This way they get a long weekend in February, and I know they’ll appreicate that.”

The board also awarded a low bid to Johns and Kirsey Inc., a Tuscaloosa-based commercial roofing firm, for the re-roofing of Fleeta Jr. High School.

“With the new roof and venting, it will allow air to circulate in the attic, which will bring the temperatures down up there, and that will extend the life of the roof,” Driver said.

The cost of the project is $188,000, and it should be completed within 60 days.

The board also approved a principal-submitted textbook committee, with Jesse Self selected as the community representative.

In other business, the board approved the following personnel changes:

• to extend the medical leave absence with benefits to Red Level High School bus driver Carolyn King;

• to employ Zackery Campbell as RLHS bus driver effective immediately; and,

• to employ Charlotte Dauphin as a lunchroom worker at Straughn Middle School effective immediately.