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The Dallas County Board of Education unanimously approved the awarding of three bids for construction projects during a special called meeting held Wednesday in the board’s Central Office conference room.

Dallas County Schools Superintendent Anthony Sampson said the bids were for toilet renovation projects at Brantley Elementary School and Dallas County High School valued at $1,319,400, a cosmetology and barbering classroom Southside-Selma High School valued at $217,800 and alterations to the Dallas County career tech facility valued at $69,800.

“We’re updating our facilities and renovations, bringing them to current standards,” he said of the toilet renovation projects. “We certainly want to do everything that we can to improve the quality of our facilities and infrastructure. That’s what that project constitutes.”

He added the career tech facility upgrades would update and add additional career tech education programs.

“Those are opportunities that are based upon community needs, (and) business and industry needs,” Sampson said. “Our students have those opportunities on our campus.”

Sampson highlighted the benefits of adding the cosmetology classroom at Southside and said it would serve as a complement to students who plan to pursue further education in the career field at Wallace Community College Selma.

“They get a chance to start things at an early introductory level,” he said. “Certainly, there’s always opportunities for these kids to continue on at Wallace.”

In other business, the board:

• Unanimously approved personnel recommendations;

• Announced the board will meeting for its regularly scheduled meeting July 28 at 5:30 p.m. in the Tipton-Durant Middle School conference room; and

• Announced the first budget hearing will be held Aug. 25 at 5:30 p.m. The location is to be determined.