BUCYRUS — With Thanksgiving just around the corner, a donation recognized during the Bucyrus City Schools Board of Education meeting Thursday will help area students in need celebrate.

During the meeting, the board recognized Bucyrus Elks Lodge No. 156 making a $2,000 donation through a Beacon Grant to the Bucyrus Backpack Program.

Virginia Hammontree represented the Backpack Program and thanked the Elks for its generosity during multiple years. She also thanked the school district for providing space to store many of the items available for the children.

Hammontree said the program sends food home for the weekend with anywhere from 40-180 students. She said the program is expanding with invitations to Wynford, Colonel Crawford and Fairway to participate.

She said donations, like the one from the Elks, allows the program to send 1-pound canned hams home with the students on the holidays to try to make them a bit more special.

The program began at its basic form in 2010 but took on its modern form in the 2013-14 school year.

Also during the meeting, treasurer Ryan Cook informed the board of a major upcoming expense. He said some security cameras in the district are in need of replacement.

He said three companies have done walkthroughs in the district’s buildings and he said estimates are expected to be around $125,000. He said much of the cost is expected to come from running cables while switching from analog to digital.

Cook said the project most likely will not occur until 2020 due to multiple companies making upgrades to their systems.

The board also accepted the resignation of Tony Rose during the meeting, effective Nov. 15. Rose is listed on the Bucyrus City Schools website as a health teacher.

Bucyrus Superintendent Matt Chrispin said a plan was in place with Rose’s departure. When asked by the board what the plan was, Chrispin said class sizes allow for the position to be absorbed, allowing a replacement for Rose to not be needed.

The board’s next meeting is Dec. 19 at 6:30 p.m. in the Lincoln Administrative Building on Plymouth Street.