Glenwood City school board approves food service project
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GLENWOOD CITY — The cafeteria along with the stage and commons areas at the Glenwood City High School will be getting a much needed facelift.
The Glenwood City School Board approved the expenditure of approximately $102,000 for design graphics and wraps for the cafeteria, stage and commons areas as well as new flooring and the purchase of ten new lunch tables and four flexible-seating benches during its Monday, June 12 meeting.
The money for the project will come from the food service program account which currently has over $135,000 in excess funds. By law, the food service program is supposed to be a self-sustaining program that has to operate with a net-zero fund balance. But, due to COVID and the free lunches that were offered to students during the recent pandemic, Glenwood City had accumulated a six-digit surplus in the food service fund.
According to high school/middle school principal Marcy Burch, who has been spear-heading the food service redesign project, the state’s Department of Public Instruction (DPI) had instructed the district to have a plan in place by June 1 to spend down the surplus.
Burch told board members that the scope of the project would include nearly $37,000 for vinyl design graphics and wraps, $20,000 for ten new round lunch tables, $3,200 for four flexible-seating benches and approximately $42,000 (average of the three bids) for new flooring to replace aging tiles, which Burch confirmed do not contain any asbestos, in all three areas.
A couple of board members did query Burch and the administrative team if the funds might be put to better use purchasing updated equipment for the kitchen but they reassured the board that most appliances had been recently updated and that food service manager Sherry Crosby was excited about the proposed improvements.
Speaking of construction, in his final official board meeting, outgoing superintendent Tim Johnson gave members a progress report on the CTE project. Johnson said that demolition will continue through the month of June. He also noted that renovation of the FACE room and work on making the restrooms across the hall from the district office ADA-compliant had begun.
Johnson also gave the board some promising state budget news for the Glenwood City School District. He said the state’s Joint Finance Committee was expected to take final action this week on a proposal to add an additional $1,000 per pupil in state aid. Unfortunately, Johnson also noted that a proposal to fund special education at a 50 percent reimbursement level has been lowered to around 33 percent. That has a significant impact on Glenwood City which spends around a $1 million per year on special education services.
During reports from the administrative team, it was learned that the district’s summer programs have drawn record enrollment and attendance.
First grade resource teacher and district safety coordinator Erin McCarthy said that Hilltopper Hangtime has an all-time high of 96 registered children with four on the waiting list.
Betsy Haltinner, elementary principal, reported that the elementary summer enrichment program has 127 students enrolled, TOPS has 93 and the 5th grade boot camp has 31 of the class’s 45 members participating.
The board also approved several personnel matters Monday evening via its consent agenda. It accepted the resignations of Christa Edin and Sara Klatt as prom advisors, Samantha Schreiber as the junior varsity volleyball coach, and Tom Stack as assistant baseball coach. Preston Shelton and Katie Miller were approved for the respective coaching positions of assistant football coach and middle school volleyball coach. Also approved were the athletic director’s position (Jake Score) and the fall sports coaches for the 2023-24 school year and a full-time custodial hire.
A donation of $1,025 to the Class of 2025 from the Elle Wood square raffle was also approved.
During the board’s action items, Frank Kohler was approved as the district’s new Information and Technology director as was an occupational therapy cooperative agreement with the Spring Valley school district.
Board president Dr. Lisa Kaiser told the Tribune Press Reporter that ten candidates had applied for the superintendent opening. The board will be interviewing four finalists this Thursday, June 15 with the selection of a new district administrator slated for next Monday, June 19.
The board next regular meeting is set for July 10.
