The Pitt County Board of Education is holding three meetings today to discuss its legislative priorities, new school construction and next year’s school calender.

School board members will meet with the county’s legislative delegation during a 10 a.m. meeting at the Community Schools and Recreation Building, 4561 County Home Road.

Board members and legislators will review the school system’s priorities for the coming legislative session that begins in May, which is commonly called the short session.

Board chairwoman Mary Grace Bright told members in January that state Rep. Marian McLawhorn, D-Pitt, warned that legislators did not want to introduce controversial legislation this year because balancing the state budget would take up most of the session.

Board members do plan to discuss their desire to introduce a bill that would shorten the length of their terms to four years instead of six years, and would shorten the gap between the time board members are elected in May to when they take office in December. The General Assembly must approve such changes.

The legislative meeting agenda also will include discussions about the school calendar, dropout prevention, dual enrollment in high school and college, and financial issues.

The board will meet again starting at 5:30 p.m. in the third-floor meeting room to review capacity calculations and discuss planning for a new wave of school construction.

School officials estimate there will be $30 million to $40 million available for school construction projects during the next two or three years. The school board needs to discuss future capacity needs and how attendance lines can be drawn to best utilize capacity at existing and proposed structures.

Finally, the board will hold its regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. The discussion will include an update on the 2010-11 school year calendar and a summary of the 2008-09 schools audit.

Contact Ginger Livingston at glivingston@reflector.com or (252) 329-9570.