At its regular meeting May 9, the USD 410 board of education was notified by superintendent Max Heinrichs that school meals will no longer be automatically free of charge for all students during the 2022-23 school year.
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, congress approved full federal funding of meals for all students. These funds have continued to be available through the 2021-22 school year but have been discontinued for 2022-23. Congress will continue providing some funding for student meals, but the amount will vary depending on the type of meals and the family income of students.
The district will return to providing free and reduced meals only to families who qualify. An application to apply for free and reduced meals will be available. Meal rates will be determined by the board at a later date.
In addition to this information, the board voted 7-0 to approve the addendum to renew the fixed price food service management contract with Opaa Food Management, Inc., to serve as the district’s food service management company for 2022-23.
Personnel
After an executive session for personnel, the board took the following action:
- voted 7-0 to approve the resignations of Jordan Riggs, Hillsboro Elementary School custodian, effective at the end of the day June 19; Amy Clements, Hillsboro Middle School assistant volleyball coach, effective at the end of the 2021-22 school year; Connie Gauthier, route bus driver, effective May 19; Austin Welch, Hillsboro Middle/High School custodian/sub bus driver, effective at the end of the day May 13.
- voted 7-0 to approve the hiring of Emily Delk, HES preschool teacher for the 4-year-old all-day classroom for the 2022-23 school year; Kasey Gooch, Parents as Teachers parent educator at 25 hours per week with a $17 hourly rate of pay.
- voted 7-0 to approve a supplemental contract for Micah Ratzlaff, 2022-23 Hillsboro High School head girls basketball coach.
Other business
In other business the board:
- voted 7-0 to reject the previously approved bid for a walk-in cooler/freezer for the HMHS kitchen from DCS using Bally as a vendor – Bally no longer supports a model that will fit in the space – and to approve the bid from DCS using U.S. Cooler as the vendor for the same price as the previous agreement, $73,324.
- voted 7-0 to approve the Greenbush Energy group participation agreement and hedging authorization at $450 annually; this agreement provides training for district personnel, bid quotes from qualified vendors, purchasing recommendation, initial savings analysis and the establishment of account services.
- heard from Heinrichs that bids for the HES window replacement project unknowingly did not follow the specifications for use of the federal ESSER II funds; the project is already in motion and will be paid out of another district fund; the ESSER II funds will be used for another project, to be determined.
- heard reports from board member Jessey Janzen on Technology Excellence in Education Network and from board chair Jared Jost on Marion County Special Education Cooperative.
The next regular meeting will be at 7 p.m. Monday, June 13 at the district office.