The cost of school lunches in the White Hall School District will increase for the 2012-13 school year. The school board was expected to decide on the amount of the increase Tuesday night.
Beginning with the 2011-12 school year, Superintendent Dr. Larry Smith explained Monday, the state began requiring increases in lunch prices on a graduated scale.
The district was allowed to wait to implement increases with the coming school year because the district had already prepared the information for distribution to parents and others last year.
“At a minimum we must raise prices to $2.10,” Smith said, noting no public school lunch program generates revenue to be self-sufficient and White Hall normally has a $130,000 annual deficit.
That deficit has been increasing, he said, due to increases in food and fuel prices.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Smith recommended directors increase the price of lunches to $2.25 “across the board. This will put us into compliance with state requirements and decrease the deficit in the food service program.”
Smith was also expected to recommend that William “Chad” Withers, assistant principal of the Bryant School District’s alternative school, be hired as principal of Gandy Elementary School.
Gandy Principal Peggy Swob recently submitted her retirement notice, effective with the end of current school year.
The board met Tuesday at Hardin Elementary School in Redfield. The directors hold one board meeting each year at Redfield.
The board was expected to adopt a resolution that calls for the election of all school board members on Sept. 18. Five of the seven directors represent single member zones and two are elected at-large.
The zones have been adjusted to comply with state law following the 2010 federal decennial census. Following the September elections, directors will draw lots for the length of their terms.
Smith said the district has received its final annual accreditation report from the Arkansas Department of Education and the district and all campuses are accredited.
Normally in May the board approves a number of bids for construction projects during the summer months and Tuesday’s meeting was no exception.
Last summer the district began a program to eliminate carpet in most areas of the elementary schools and replace the material with tile over a three year period. The schools and low bids submitted for the second phase work:
– Gandy Elementary, Bryan Paint and Carpet of Pine Bluff, $19,301; Hardin Elementary, Bryan, $19,609; Moody Elementary, Bryan, $25,2135; and Taylor Elementary, Bryan, $22,243.
– Reynolds Construction of White Hall submitted the low bid of $8,658 for covering for the greenhouses at Taylor Elementary.
– Reynolds also submitted the low bid of $24,442 to replace the southeast section of the White Hall High School roof, which was damaged in an April 2011 storm and repaired.
– Peneprine submitted the low bid of $187,300 for asphalt paving projects at Taylor, Gandy and Hardin schools.
In other action, the board was expected to:
– Approve replacing volunteer coaches with certified coaches for middle school volleyball, senior high girls’ soccer and senior high boys’ soccer.
– Approve paying Tim Atkinson, district athletic trainer, a $9,700 stipend for working evening events.
The directors were to recognize the accomplishments of a number of students during the meeting:
– Two seventh grade students – Tyler Bedford and Ethan Bridgforth – received national recognition for placing in the top 3 percent in the nation in Duke University’s Talent Search for their results on the ACT.
– Nine students received state recognition under the Duke program. The nine were Matt Adams, Taylor Akins, Bedford, Lexy Blevins, Bridgforth, Samantha Coats, Spencer Owens, Saumya Sharman and Julianne Wright.
– Taylor Elementary captured first and second place in the Economics Arkansas 2012 Spring Stock Market Game competition in Region 6; Redfield Junior High School placed second in the regional junior high classification; and White Hall High School captured first place in the region among high schools.
– The White Hall Junior High boys track team finished in first place and the school’s girls track team captured second in the River City Conference Track Meet.
– WHHS boys and girls track teams finished in fourth place in the 5A Southeast Conference Track Meet.
– WHHS volleyball player Patience Walker signed a letter of intent with Henderson State University. She is the first school athlete to receive a scholarship in volleyball.
– Cody Jones, WHHS soccer player, signed a letter of intent with Williams Baptist College. He is the first school soccer player to receive a scholarship in soccer.