Allen Simpson again will represent District 1 for the Troup County Board of Education after board members unanimously approved his appointment back to the board Thursday.

“Seeing as in the beginning it was the will of the people in (District 1) for (Simpson) to serve them, I put his name up for nomination,” school board Chairman John Darden said, asking if there were any other nominations from the board. No one spoke and after Darden made a motion to accept Simpson’s appointment, several members gave a “second” before voting to approve.

Simpson, who stepped down in November after discovering he lived outside of the district he was elected to represent, now can serve in the position because changes in boundary lines put him back in District 1. The boundary lines were changed as part of mandatory state law to ensure districts are equally represented by population following the most recent census.

“Some people have asked why we had not filled this position sooner,” Darden said. “With the 2010 census, we’re required to adjust our zoning lines … If we had appointed someone during that time, there could’ve been a chance that while the lines were being adjusted, where that person lived could be in area where the line moved.”

Three districts were affected by the changes, included District 1, which gained area because it dropped in population.

School board attorney John Taylor said the board can appoint someone to fill the vacated seat until a board member is elected during a special election, which means Simpson’s appointment will last until Dec. 31. The board is expected at its next regular meeting to adopt a resolution asking Probate Judge Donald Boyd to hold the special election during the November general election.

Simpson can qualify and run for the position, which will determine who will fill the remaining two years of the term for the seat. He did not attend Thursday’s meeting.

The board also Thursday formally adopted its fiscal year 2013 budget. The budget, which sits at about $96.9 million in expenses and $95.7 million in revenue, has a $1.2 million gap that will come from the school system’s reserve funds.

Cuts include the closing of West Side Magnet School, instructional costs, personnel reductions and elimination of fine arts funding. Although art and music classes in schools were saved from the chopping block, funding for fine arts-related activities, like trips and guest speakers that cost $38,605 in the current year, will be eliminated.

There is an about $3.5 million reduction in instructional costs and two to three leave-without-pay days for employees.

The budget is available at www.troup.k12.ga.us.

In other business Thursday, the board:

• Apporved an annual license agreement for the Infinite Campus software for $90,907.20, an increase of $367.20 over last year from an increase of 51 students.

•Approved Hutchinson Traylor Insurance as the liability and automobile insurance carrier for fiscal year 2013 at a cost of $307,015.

• Purchased $62,040 in furniture from Vicro Manufacturing Inc. for middle and high school classrooms.

• Purchased $1,089,950.82 in fuel from Hawkins Oil Company for the upcoming fiscal year.

• Purchased retread and new tires from North Georgia Tire of Cartersville for the next fiscal year at a cost of $60,133.95.

• Approved a three-year contract with G & K services of Atlanta to provide uniforms to transportation, maintenance, technology and custodial employees at a total costs of $33,300 for the first year.

• Purchased $193,346 in food-service equipment from Baring Industries Inc. of Downer’s Grove, Ill., to replace equipment that is inoperable or failing.