The Board of Education approved a revision to the system's uniform dress code, adding the color red as an option for students but two board members voted against the choice.

Board members Linda Cook Hamilton and Terry Williams were opposed to the color and Williams cited red as a known &#8220gang color,” used by members of the infamous Bloods street gang, which originated in California in the late 70s and early 80s and has since spread to other parts of the nation.

Superintendent Mike Looney said Williams had a valuable point.

&#8220The color red being associated with gangs was certainly a topic of conversation,” said Looney. &#8220The consensus of the committee was that red was widely available and easy to find in stores whereas some of the other colors were not.”

The system currently allows for navy or white shirts to be worn with khaki pants. The changes are effective for the 2007-08 school year.

The revisions add red polo shirts, red turtlenecks, red cardigans and sweater vests (red, white or navy). Other changes to the uniform dress code include:

n Changing the term &#8220neutral T-shirt” to &#8220any color shirt” (shall not show through the outer shirt.)

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The only days students will be allowed out of uniform are school picture days.

n Approved school names and school club logos will be allowed on the left breast pocket area of the polo shirts.

Butler County adopted a uniform policy in 2005.

In other business, the board:

n Scheduled Thursday, May 31 at 6:30 p.m. as the day to meet with potential candidates to replace board member Joanne Peak. Candidates will be allowed five minutes to address the board, followed by a 10-minute question and answer period. The candidates are: Johnny Lee, Barry Branum, Greg Griffin, Aubrey Alan Odom, and Voncile Bedgood.

Peak resigned in April and was honored with a reception on Thursday night prior to the board meeting.

n Approved the hiring of Hutcheson Construction at the cost of $525,000 for phase 1 construction at Greenville Middle School, including the building of an aluminum canopy and bus drive.

n Approved a bid from Transportation South to provide buses to the school system at the cost of $64,617.40 per unit.

n Approved a bid from CDW-G to provide a web filter at the cost of $11,600.

Looney said the filter would act to guard against both employees and students downloading and viewing illicit or illegal content on the system's Internet and would then notify administrators.

n Approved a special called meeting schedule for the Butler County Board of Education and Butler County Cooperative District. The meetings will be held on June 5 at 6 p.m. and June 14 at 6 p.m.

n Approved the hiring of Volkert & Associates to act as the construction management firm for construction projects at W.O. Parmer Elementary School and in Georgiana.