Nothing in life is free. Starting next year USD 257 will enforce a food service policy that prohibits high school students to receive an alternative meal if they have a negative food account balance.
Over the years delinquent food service accounts have added up. Students have continued to eat even though their food account has a negative balance.
Secretaries will now run a daily balance check of students’ accounts and notify parents when the balance is getting low. At the elementary and middle school level students will be given an alternative lunch when the balance reaches negative $25. A meal will not be served at the high school level when the balance is negative $25.
A Free and Reduced Meal form will be sent home with the student when they have a negative $10 balance. This is to give families the opportunity to fill out the form in case they missed it at the beginning of the year. At a previous meeting, board members suggested not calling it Free and Reduced to rid the students of embarrassment.
“I understand the thought behind it but I think it would confuse them,” Jack Koehn, superintendent of schools said.
Koehn said more than 60 percent of students are on free and reduced meals in the district.
Scott Stanley, maintenance and transportation director, presented bids for three summer projects. The roof that covers the Iola Middle School commons area and the office area leaks. Over the rainy weekend Stanley said watered poured into the office area. This is a common occurrence when it rains. Stanley put out bids to area roofers and the board approved a bid for $80,900 from JB Turner and Sons, Topeka.
Stanley said the exterior doors of the middle school are 20 years old.
“It’s time to put in more secure doors for the building,” he said.
The board approved a bid for $27,214.51 from Iola Glass.
Another water leak has appeared at Jefferson and Lincoln Elementary. Both schools have glass block walls in the stairway. Water leaks into the stairway, which makes the stairs very slick.
The board wanted to take care of the safety issue right way and gave a nod to a bid for $6,731 from Mid-Continental of Fort Scott to have the glass blocks sealed.
USD 257 is currently banking with Great Southern Bank but was recently notified of an upcoming change in service charges. After evaluating bids from Community National Bank and Landmark Bank, board member Daryll Catron made a motion to take the bid with Landmark. It was carried.
The district is saying good-bye to two long-term employees. The board approved the resignation of Barbara Geffert as business manager and Marvin Smith as high school track coach.
The board approved the hiring of Kayla Westerman as McKinley Elementary secretary, Gerri Godderz, as paraprofessional at McKinley Elementary and Jason Bates as Iola Middle School and Iola High School head wrestling coach.
