Only one person was hired this week by the Athens school board, a tiny number compared to most monthly meetings, but perhaps a relief for a board that has approved $60 million for a new high school.

Board members unanimously approved the following action during their regular meeting Thursday:

• Agreed to hire Christine Goodman as systemwide instructional aide at Athens Middle School for the rest of the 2018-19 school year;

• Approved a leave of absence for Beth Anderson, fifth-grade teacher at Athens Intermediate for Feb. 20-22;

• Approved the January list of volunteers for Athens City Schools for 2018-19: Spark Academy — Corney Latica Ann Randolph, Denise Lorick, Shirley William Brown, Kristin Cohn and Osden Cohn; AIS — Mary Ann Todd; Athletic Director Darin Aderholdt — James Grantham III, Kayla Hunt and Jordan Pugh; Recreation Center, elementary schools and AIS — Chad Vining, Preston Herring, Carrie Moss and Corey Jennings; Julian Newman Elementary — Noell Christine Gonzalez and Cody Allen Vinson;

• Approved a non-resident student admission applications for Millie Jane Faulkner, with tuition waived; Addyson Marie Bryant; and Mary-Catherine Townsend, starting with the 2019-20 school year;

• Approved four-day trip for Athens Middle School to the Washington, D.C., Gettysburg/Baltimore tour April 23-28;

• Approved a trip for Athens Renaissance School, including 40 students in grades 5-8 and four chaperones, to Camp McDowell May 1-3;

• Approved Athen baseball team field trip to Jacksonville State June 18-20;

• Approved AHS and AMS Winter Guard competitions March 1-3 in Powder Springs, Georgia, and March 29-30 in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The two teams will share bus and lodgings;

• Approved AHS SCA field trip to SCA Alabama State Conference in Tuscaloosa April 13-14;

• Approved AHS/Freshman Center and AMS Curriculum Catalogs for 2019-20 school year;

• Approved AMS cafeteria for Boy Scout Troop 7240 Feb. 7. Board member Tim Green abstained on this vote only because he is the Boy Scout leader; and

• In honor of school board recognition month in January, Superintendent Dr. Trey Holladay gave board members and the school board attorney a monogramed AHS computer bags.