Increase in breakfast, lunch is unanimously approved by Board

FOSTER — Boone County Board of Education officials last week

unanimously voted to increase the costs of school meals for students

and adults.

Here is a breakdown of the changes, which were approved by board

members Bob Brown, Danny Cantley, Mark Sumpter, Joe Tagliente and

Gary Woodrum:

Elementary breakfast (students) - from $0.75 to $0.85.

Secondary breakfast (students) - from $0.75 to $0.85.

Elementary lunch (students) - from $0.85 to $0.95.

Secondary lunch (students) - from $1.25 to $1.35.

Elementary/secondary breakfast (adults) - from $2.50 to $2.75.

Elementary/secondary lunch (adults) - from $3 to $3.25.

“The changes are very slight,” said Alice Grassie, who is the school

board’s director of food services and public relations.

To put those changes in perspective, consider this: There are 180

days in a school year. If a child eats both meals every day, his or

her parents now will pay an additional $36 over the course of the

school year.

Grassie said it is the first increase in six years.

“Everyone knows about inflation,” Grassie said. “The price of food

and the price of fuel have increased tremendously.”

The latter “has increased our bills considerably,” she said. “That

enters into our budget because of the costs associated with the

transportation of food.”

Even with money from state and federal reimbursements and student and

adult payments, the school board contributes about $900,000 to the

nutrition program “to insure that the students in Boone County are

offered meals that far exceed the standards that are set by the state

and federal officials,” Grassie said.

However, that total includes other costs such as labor, which

accounts for much of the deficit.

“It isn’t as bad as it looks,” she said.

State and federal reimbursements and student and adult payments “will

never support the meal system,” Grassie said. “It just isn’t intended

to.”

That hasn’t been a problem in the past and shouldn’t be a problem in

the future, Grassie said, because “the administration does an

excellent job of budgeting and balancing.”

The school board uses money from its general fund to account for the

deficit.

The school board uses co-operative buying groups to purchase the

food, milk and bread for its schools.

“That helps you get better pricing,” Grassie said.

“We try in every way we can to conserve money but keep quality,” she

added. “We look at every item we purchase. We don’t just say we want

to order this. We look at each item’s nutritional information, and we

do a taste test for each item. We are always on top of the nutrition,

the cost, the quality and the flavor of our foods.”

The costs of reduced-price meals weren’t affected. Elementary and

secondary breakfasts for students remains at $0.30, and elementary

and secondary lunches for students remains at $0.40.

Free meals still are available for those who meet the federal

government’s income guidelines.

Free and reduced-price meal applications for the 2007-08 school years

were mailed to each household in July.

Anyone who needs an application can contact Grassie at 369-8248 or

agrassie@access.k12.wv.us.

Applications can be submitted or amended at any time during the

school year, she said.

Boone County teachers report to work for the 2007-08 school year Aug.

22. Students report Aug. 27.

In other news, the school board approved:

n The bid from Tri-State Roofing & Sheet Metal Company ($194,444) to

replace Madison Elementary School’s roof.

n The bid from West Virginia Business Products ($4,995) to replace

the copier at the school board’s operations complex.

Here is a list of the personnel action from last week’s meeting:

Resignations

n Amy Price, secretary/accountant at Scott High School, effective Aug. 1

n Joan Richards, social studies teacher at Scott High School,

effective July 31

n Joseph Wood, math teacher (itinerant) based at Scott High School,

effective Aug. 7

n Mary Cox, majorette sponsor at Scott High School, effective Aug. 21

n Monique Nunley, band director at Scott High School, effective Aug. 21

n Shann Elkins, head football coach at Sherman Junior High School,

effective July 26

Leave of absence

n Elizabeth Burns, speech pathologist based at Madison Elementary

School, first semester of 2007-08 school year

n Joanna Webb, cafeteria manager at Madison Pre-Kindergarten Center,

Mondays and Wednesdays only from Aug. 20 through Dec. 19

n Donna Roberts, kindergarten teacher at Sherman Elementary School,

2007-08 school year

Rescine

n Terry Ann Kidd, cook II (50 percent) at Whitesville Elementary

School, medical leave of absence for first semester of 2007-08 school

year, effective Aug. 22

Administrative transfer

n Christopher Duncan, from assistant principal at Sherman Elementary

School to assistant principal at Sherman Senior High School (position

previously held by Allen Halley), effective 2007-08 school year

Employment

n Erica Lockhart, English/language arts teacher at Scott High School

(position previously held by Heather Hayes), effective 2007-08 school

year

n Kimberly Lay, LD/MI/BD teacher at Nellis Elementary School

(temporary position in place of Kelly Swanson Linville until she

returns) (pending certification), effective 2007-08 school year

n David Williamson, middle school head football coach at Van Junior-

Senior High School, effective 2007-08 school year

n Anthony Jones, middle school assistant football coach at Van Junior-

Senior High School, effective 2007-08 school year

n Nicholas Shreve, substitute athletic trainer countywide (pending

certification and background check), effective 2007-08 school year.

Professional transfers

n Robert Ulher, from fifth- and sixth-grade teacher at Nellis

Elementary School to math teacher at Sherman Junior High School

(position previously held by Jon Griffith), effective 2007-08 school

year

n Karen Rollo, from sixth-grade teacher at Sherman Elementary School

to fifth-grade teacher at Sherman Elementary School (position

previously held by Kelly Griffith), effective 2007-08 school year

Probationary personnel

n Jennifer Cain, first-grade teacher at Whitesville Elementary

School, third probationary

n Melanie Wilson-Quisenberry, business teacher at Sherman Senior High

School, second probationary

The school board’s next meeting is scheduled for Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. at

its operations complex in Foster.

Contact Managing Editor Jacob Messer at jacobmesser@dailymail.com or

369-1165.