Boyceville school lunch program has too much money

BOYCEVILLE — The school board learned Monday that the district’s lunch program has too much money and it must be reduced.

At the School Board meeting of November 18th the board heard a report from their auditors telling them that, “that the schools food service had a positive balance and that was good and that gave the school the ability to improve equipment.” They also said that some school districts have to inject funds into the lunch program to keep it afloat.

Well, at the meeting Monday, District Superintendent Kevin Sipple presented a copy of a letter the school had received from the state DPI (Department of Public Instruction) stating that the school lunch program had too big of a balance. Financial figures that the board reviewed showed that the program had an almost $130,000 balance on June 30, 2012 with the DPI requiring them to spend down almost $25,000 of that amount.

Sipple presented a list of new equipment that the school had purchased for the lunch program over the past year and that total amounted to some $14,654, but even with that amount of spending the fund grew and at the end of June of this year stood at $172,859.

Sipple told the board that the simple way to reduce the fund balance would be to reduce the ticket price for the meals, “but the federal government will not allow us to do that.” Sipple said.

Sipple presented a plan to the board, which they approved, that would reduce that balance. First was that district has a custodial position that is half time. “We can fund the addition fifty percent through Fund 50 with the emphasis on cleaning and care of the food service areas in both buildings. This would free up time being used to clean in food service for some other areas,” Sipple’s report indicated. The report also indicated, “that the DPI had additional staffing as an option for us to consider in reducing the fund balance.”

The second item that the school board approved was to purchase an air conditioning system for the 7-12 grade food service area at a cost of $21,572.

In other school business the board approved the hiring of Sarah Stone as Quiz Bowl Advisor; Jim Chich as the Director of Transportation; Hector Cruz as Middle School Wrestling Coach and Wendy Bird as Winter Dance Team Advisor.

The board heard a report form Athletic Director Brian Roemhild about the fall sports season review. He addressed the number of students that participated the different programs and recognized those members that received All Conference award. He also noted to the board that at the WADA Fall Conference that Rochelle Olson was awarded an Athletic Service Award for the photographic work.

Roemhild also gave the board the number of students out for winter sports and noted that there would be no cheerleaders for the Basketball program against this year.