Selma City School Board members said farewells to their appointed positions at the school board meeting Thursday evening.

“I started on the board 10 years ago,” said Ben Givan, out-going president. “I want to thank my colleagues for asking me to serve on three occasions. And, I want to thank you out there for being patient with me.”

Givan plans to continue to work with the school board in whatever capacity he can.

“I am humbled by all this board have done for me,” said City Schools Superintendent Dr. Austin Obasohan.

This board chose to hire Obasohan one year ago.

“I have some good memories of this board,” Obasohan said. “Serving our children is not temporary. Your hard work has not been in vain.”

The board made changes to the policy handbook recently, after finding the policies had not been reassessed since the mid 1980s.

“I’m hopeful the new school board will see the progress this board has made,” said Barbara Hiouas. “Those are the laws we use to run everything.”

On the business agenda, the board has chosen to hire Empire Builder’s Group to build a new roof for Meadowview Elementary School for $157,508. They also approved to a contractual agreement with Community Builders to work with at-risk students in the school systems.

They will involve parents, local business, faith-based institutions, and civic organizations to supplement daily school activities to help eliminate environmental hazards such as crime, drugs and violence.

Before concluding his last school board meeting as president, Givan asked Henry Hicks to the stage, and presented him with the official meeting gavel.

New board members will be officially elected next week after the certification of the election results. Udo Ufomadu is the only member of the appointed board to be elected for the upcoming term. They will begin their term on Jan. 1, attend training with Alabama School Board Association on Jan. 15 and 16 and lead their first school board meeting on Jan. 21.