By Matthew E. Milliken

mmilliken@heraldsun.com; 419-6684

DURHAM -- Several actions on proposed school business items received tentative approval from the Durham school board at its administrative services committee meeting on Thursday.

During the meeting, the board:

- Provisionally agreed to apply for $1.8 million in education-lottery funds for roofing and HVAC renovations at Jordan and Northern high schools and for roof upgrades at Durham School of the Arts. Lottery money that had been allocated to four of these projects was frozen earlier this year.

- Provisionally approved a $1.5 million bid by Mixon Construction Co. of Durham to build a 10,000-square-foot gymnasium at Lakeview School. This 2007-bond-funded project will require the transfer of $200,000 in unused funds from a Neal Middle project.

- Provisionally approved three contracts with telecommunications firms. Two are use-based and will help maintain computer systems. One will replace Verizon with TW Telecom as voice and data service provider. TW Telecom will charge $149,000, a savings of $27,000 in the first year, and will provide school-by-school long-distance billing summaries, which Verizon could not do.

All of the items are likely to be voted on, and to receive final school board approval, on Nov. 19 when the body holds its regular monthly meeting.

Approval from the Durham Board of County Commissioners will be needed to move ahead with the construction items.