Four district schools will give all students free breakfast, lunch this fall
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Wednesday, June 17, 2015, 1 a.m. — The Nelson County Board of Education unanimously approved having four district schools offer free breakfast and lunches to all students regardless of income or eligibility.
April Peach, the district’s director of school nutrition.
Starting this fall, students who attend Bloomfield Elementary School, Boston School, New Haven School and Horizon Academy will no longer need to pay for breakfast or lunch.
April Peach, the district’s director of school nutrition, told the Nelson County Board of Education the four schools qualify for the community eligibility provision of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.
The provision allows schools that have a high percentage of students who qualify state or federal aid, or for free or reduced-price lunches, to offer all students breakfast and lunch meals at no cost, Peach explained. Other factors include the school enrollment, the number of meals served and the average number of students who participate in school meals.
Only four of the district’s schools currently qualify for the program under the community eligibility provisions, Peach said.
Schools that qualify under the community eligibility provision will no longer need to deal with the paperwork that goes along with the free and reduced lunch program. Instead, the state evaluates student data to determine the number of children eligible, including homeless youth, Head Start students, foster children and children whose families receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits.
The program won’t change the cafeteria menus in participating schools; the only change will be to the way the school district is reimbursed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Board member Diane Berry said the district’s substitutes deserved higher pay rates.
The four schools will participate in the program for four years, at which time they must reapply.
Peach said she believes the program will be self-sustaining without burdening the school district. “I feel like we can also add to it in the future,” she said.
The program will save parents of those students money. A parent that pays full price for his or her child’s breakfast and lunch pays $609 per school year, Peach told the board.
SALARY SCHEDULE APPROVED. The board approved the district’s 2015-16 salary schedules that include a state-mandated 2 percent across-the-board raise.
Board member Diane Berry repeated her concern that the district is not paying its substitute teachers well.
“They’re worth more than that,” Berry said of the district’s substitutes. Tim Hockensmith, the district’s chief operating officer, said substitute pay was increased last year.
“I have people who won’t sub because of the pay,” Berry said. “You get what you pay for.”
SUPERINTENDENT’S EVALUATION. The board entered executive session to complete the superintendent’s performance evaluation. When the board returned to regular session, Chairman Damon Jackey reported that Superintendent Anthony Orr received “accomplished” ratings in the seven standards, which include strategic leadership; instructional leadership; cultural leadership; human resource leadership; managerial leadership; collaborative leadership and influential leadership.
In other action, the board:
— approved a bid from Liberty Mutual for student accident insurance. The insurance will no longer pay usual and customary charges, but will have limits on payouts for injuries;
— approved a contract with KORT Physical Therapy for providing athletic trainers to the high schools at no cost to the district.
— approved a bid from KEMI for the district’s worker’s compensation insurance;
— approved a bid from Liberty Mutual for the district’s property liability insurance.
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