The Meridian School Board made a recommendation Tuesday to remove all voting precincts from schools. A lot of concerns are being raised about what happens now.

If the Justice Department approves, Johnson said the board of supervisors will decide where the new locations will be.

With the recommendation from the school board, superintendent Sylvia Autry is ready along with an attorney to draft a letter and send it to the Meridian City Council, the Lauderdale County board of supervisors and the Lauderdale County circuit clerk's office requesting the go-ahead to start the process of removing voting precincts from the current Meridian Public Schools that are polling sites.

"But with so many things happening today and so much concern with campus security, we just felt like that needed to happen," said superintendent Sylvia Autry.

That letter will ultimately reach the U.S. Justice Department and it will make the final decision.

Currently Meridian High, Northwest Junior High, Crestwood Elementary and Poplar Springs Elementary serve as voting precincts.

"The Secretary of State's office has always recommended combining precincts and having like a minimum of 500 voters per precinct," said circuit clerk Donna Jill Johnson. "So the board has a challenge ahead of them, since we have 54 precincts in Lauderdale County, to see what can be combined and what is a good location and a safe location to be able to move to."

If the Justice Department approves the change, Johnson said county supervisors will decide where the new locations will be.