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05/20/2007: "School board approves another lunch price hike"

School lunch prices are going up again.
Superintendent Randy Anderson explained the price increase and options to the board at the Monday, May 14, Board of Education Meeting. Anderson said he and business manager Dana Wortmann had met several times with Lunchtime Solutions, the food service contracted to provide breakfast and lunch to both the elementary and secondary sites.
The food service indicated it wanted to raise prices 30 cents per meal in the elementary and 15 cents per meal in the high school to break even. These prices would go

along with the 3.5 percent increase which is due to inflation. it was suggested the board approve a budget amount of about $10,000-12,000 to supplement the loss in the food service area.
After checking prices with area schools, Anderson found Crofton is at the top; not exactly where they want to be in this situation.
Board president Kieth Zimmerman said the reason they went to the food service was to keep costs down. The former lunch program had been operating in the red and the district had been picking up the difference between what the students paid and what the food
stuffs cost.
Anderson suggested the board approve a 10 cent increase for the students. He also pointed out the amount seems small, but if a family has several students, it will add up quickly over a period of 180 days. He also talked to Lunchtime Solutions about the menu options and requested some variety for the students.
The cost of an adult meal would go up to $2.65 from $2.40. Student pricing will be: elementary breakfast, $1 up from $.90; elementary lunch, $1.95 up from $1.85; and junior and senior high school lunches, $2.20 up from $2.10. The board approved the increase.
The board also gave Wortmann approval to write the check to pay for the new handicapped accessible van. The prices for the vehicle were quoted from a mobility specialty business in Tea, SD. The 2007 Chevy conversion van will cost $38,901 initially. The old 1989 van will be traded in for $1,000. The cost will be recouped from the Special Education state reimbursement. The state keeps track of MOE (Maintenance Of Effort) in school districts in the Special Education. Department and will allow the money to come back to the district. If the district does not continue to improve, the money will be lost.
The board approved the following new teacher and extra duty contracts. The new third grade teacher
replacing Pat Smith will be John Connot, newly graduated from Midland College in Fremont, who will also be an assistant football and basketball coach. As Bonnie Paulsen retires, Amy Kleinschmit will move into her position for the kindergarten class and Angela Sullivan, also newly graduated from Midland College in Fremont, will take her place as a second kindergarten teacher. Kathy Olson will be the cheerleading advisor.
One option enrollment was approved by the board. Sophia Martinez asked for her son, Pete Hernandez to be able to continue to go to school in Crofton even though they are moving to the Hartington school district.
During administrative time, all reported the school year is winding for this last week of school. Activity Director Ann Kramer reported that the Northeast Nebraska Thunderbirds football team is still working out details with the district to play their home games in Crofton. Five home games are set and Kramer thinks they will fill one more date. She and Anderson reminded the semipro team that Crofton High School is their first priority and nixed a few games which were scheduled after the start of the fall 2007-2008 school year. The T-birds leaders have been very cooperative and all are excited to see how successful the season will be here in northeast Nebraska.
Secondary principal Todd Strom reported that 12 local teachers have been registered to spend time this summer in Cozad to learn about online assessment training. There will be no summer school this year, but the money budgeted for that area are now being directed to talented and gifted program elementary principal Susan which Benak is setting up.
Anderson is collecting requisitions from the staff and working on the 2007-2008 school year budget. The state distance learning program has been causing some glitches for state schools. It is required by state statute all districts carry the program and it is quite costly.
For schools like Crofton, which have all certified teachers and teach in all required course areas, Anderson said he wonders if is really pays. For smaller schools, which take a greater advantage of distance learning programs since they maybe lacking teachers in some areas, it works well.
An expense of $60,000 will be needed for an upgrade to the program and the district may only see a state reimbursement of $20,000. Anderson has been in contact with state officials about the situation.
Roofing repair has already begun as some waterproofing in the secondary building with small areas repaired already complete. The elementary roofing repair will begin as soon as school is out.
The subject of the new athletic track was discussed. Anderson reported what the initial meeting with Dale Nielsen of DLR Group of Omaha covered.
He cited one of the most important issues will be the soil survey and soil compaction tests. The land where the high school and football complex is built was formerly a farm place.
Years ago when it was purchased by the district, there was a farm site with a dumping ground for farm trash, but there was nothing chemically related dumped there. Finding out just where that area is and how it will affect drainage, and materials needed to prepare the area for the all surface track will be very essential in the early stages.
Financing will also be a major issue. Anderson would like to see the complex built without an additional burden to the district’s taxpayers. He said the district wants the new all weather track to be well
planned and yet be frugal.
Cedar County Attorney George Hirschbach sent school attorney Dale Riesberg a 55 page reply to Riesberg’s request the district be included in any future proceedings with the Santee Tribe and The Feather Hill Shop-EZ property. The district wants to be aware of any financial impact these proceedings will have on the district. Cedar county is seeking to establish some type of restitution for land that has been taken off the tax rolls bvecause it was purchaed by the tribe.
Riesberg said the reply was very thorough and he needed more time to look over the response before presenting it to the board. He also indicated it may need to be discussed in closed session at that time.