The Clark County Board of Education approved an agreement with a new law firm during its first regular meeting of the year Tuesday.

The board approved Grant, Rose and Pumphrey Law Office as its legal firm with former Clark County attorney Brian Thomas as lead attorney.

The board voted 4-0-1 with board member Scott Hisle abstaining.

Hisle initially asked the board to consider expanding the topic of hiring a board attorney to include selecting applicants to interview and setting dates to interview. The board voted 4-1 not to add the suggestion to the agenda.

Hisle said he would not vote for the approval of the legal firm because he believed it to be premature.

“I think we should do what we did in prior years and take the time to interview the top candidates,” he said.

After a few months of tabling, the board unanimously approved a grant initiatives proposal resulting from the On The Table community forum last year.

The board voted to allocate the $50,000 grant funds from the Clark County Community Foundation toward additional safety measures.

A District-Level Safety Committee met to come up with the terms for the proposal which included enhancement of district-wide surveillance systems and electronic door access points.

In other action, the board:

— approved Superintendent Paul Christy as school board secretary;

— acknowledged review of the enrollment and demographic report

— approved Comprehensive District Improvement Plan

— approved Baker Intermediate School’s Comprehensive School Improvement Plan

— approved Robert D. Campbell Junior High School’s Comprehensive School Improvement Plan

— approved Conkwright Elementary School’s Comprehensive School Improvement Plan

— approved funding for Campbell’s National Amazing Shake Competition not to exceed $4,000

— approved new serving line in the cafeteria at Campbell for $61,154.20

— approved new serving line in the cafeteria at Conkwright for $38,965.36

— approved pay application #1514-25 to RossTarrant Architects, for the George Rogers Clark High School Gymnasium and Athletic Fields Project (BG 16-238) for $9,290.95

— approved pay application #13 to Codell Construction, contractors and suppliers for the GRC Gymnasium and Athletic Fields Project (BG-16-238) for $844,846.41

— approved pay application #1 to Codell Construction, contractors and suppliers for the GRC Gymnasium and Athletic Fields Project (BG 18-334) for $37,115.30

— approved pay application #19 to Performance Services, Inc., for Guaranteed Energy Conservation Savings Project (BG 17-178) for $172,292.31.