The Altus Board of Education unanimously approved the employment of a construction manager as opposed to a general contractor for the renovation and new construction at Altus High School during its regular meeting at the administrative center on Tuesday.

Acting on the recommendation of Clarence Williams of the project architects Boynton, Williams and Associates of Norman, and Jody Hall of Elk City, whose family has been doing major construction projects in Western Oklahoma for half a century, the board decided it would be in the best interest of the district to use the construction manager method.

Hall, whose firm is used by Boynton, Williams and Associates, said the construction manager concept provides more accountability to every bid package included in the job, and is more a partner with the school district and the architect.

His father oversaw construction of the present Clifford Peterson Cafeteria at Altus High School.

The board also approved uniform allowances for Child Nutrition Program managers and cooks for fiscal year 2008-09.

In other business, school superintendent Bob Drury reported that Altus schools are doing very well in the Academic Performance Index, which is figured by the school’s reading and math scores and its attendance rate.

The 2008 update shows that all the scores have now met the goal that is set for reading and math for the school year 2011-2912 under the No Child Left Behind federal initiative.

Drury said that although scores are high, it does not mean that the Altus Public School district can rest.

“We must continue to improve so that our scores will be where they need to be by 2014,” he said.

Altus High School API scores increased the most this year.

River Elementary has already reached the goal set by SDE for 2014, and Sunset scored just three points shy of the mark.