Boyceville Board of Education approves food services policy, amended 2016-2017 budget

By Cara L. Dempski

BOYCEVILLE — Boyceville’s Board of Education approved an updated food service policy and an amended budget for the 2016-2017 school year, late last week.

The board met June 29 in the district office to discuss the measures.

Superintendent Kevin Sipple started the meeting by informing the board he wanted to “fast track” the district’s food service policy regarding collecting money for delinquent accounts.

“What the USDA really wants to have happen with this policy, I think, is they want school districts to be very transparent about how they are going to collect money,” Sipple explained. “Specifically, delinquent accounts in food service.”

Sipple noted the United States Department of Agriculture also wants schools nationwide to be forthcoming with how they provide meals to children who do not have money in their food service accounts. He indicated Boyceville’s existing policy needed only small changes, since the district already has policies for many of the updates required by the USDA.

The district administrator said building staff have done an excellent job of communicating with parents regarding delinquent accounts, and there have been very few delinquencies over time. He also praised the community’s generosity in donating to an account ensuring students whose families are not able to maintain an account balance are still able to eat hot meals at school.

The new policy indicates the board will allow students complete purchases from the district food service using cash in hand or a food service account. Students may be allowed to incur a negative account balance under certain conditions.

First, the district administrator can grant permission to accumulate a negative balance, and will determine permissible balances by grade level. Students will not be allowed to purchase a la carte items without sufficient funds or cash.

Those receiving free or reduced prices on meals will be allowed to purchase a USDA-approved meal if he or she has the necessary funds to purchase the meal, regardless of whether there is a negative account balance.

If a student exceeds the permissible negative balance amount on his or her account and does not have cash to purchase a meal, he or she will be restricted to an alternative lunch (sandwich, fruit and milk) to the account until a positive balance has been restored.

The updated policy also indicates the district administrator will require the food service program to serve foods that are wholesome and nutritious, and reinforce the healthy-living concepts taught in the classroom.

The board also discussed proposed amendments to the final budget numbers for 2016-2017.

Sipple opened the discussion by indicating Boyceville tries to stick to just two budget revisions per year, one around the middle of the school year, and a second pushed back as far as possible without making it difficult for district accountant Sharon Formoe to prepare all the necessary documentation for the yearly audit.

The 2016-2017 audit is scheduled to begin July 17, 2017.

The amended budget sheet showed several instances where money was moved from one place to another. Formoe explained the reason behind taking such action.

“I look at the budget and make sure there aren’t any negative lines,” she began. “In order to do that, we have to move money from some lines. All we’re doing is reducing some lines that had money in them to those that didn’t have enough.”

For example, a total of $82,200 was removed from the regular curriculum and business administration line items of the general fund to provide an extra $41,000 for instructional staff services, $6,000 for central services, $2,000 for other support services, and 33,200 for general tuition payments.

Formoe said the $286,003 initially approved for instructional staff services and $699,540 for general tuition payments were impacted by the fact that the district did not have its final open enrollment and youth options numbers at the time the budget was approved. Since the district saved money in regular curriculum and business administration, those funds were transferred to the line items where they were needed.

The district encountered a similar issue with the special education fund. The district originally allotted $1,230,626 for special education curriculum, but wound up in need of $1,250,951, a difference of $20,325. The money was removed from the business administration and general tuition payments line items to cover the curriculum, as both items came in significantly below cost.

The district accountant indicated the changes were due to the need to present balanced books to the auditors later this month, and do not indicate any issues in the district’s finances.

The amended budget received unanimous approval.

The board then set its July meeting for July 20, 2017 at 6 p.m. The meeting will be held in the library at Tiffany Creek Elementary.