Parents will be paying about 10 cents more per meal for their children's school lunches next year.
School board members approved raising school lunches for students in kindergarten through eighth grade from $2.25 to $2.35, and lunches for high school students from $2.75 to $2.85. There will be no changes in breakfast, prekindergarten or adult prices.
The United States Department of Agriculture requires an annual review of prices, according to Jason Carter, food services director. This year the district falls below the minimum average lunch price of $2.48 set by the USDA so it must increase costs to parents.
"We're required to look at it every year and if we are below the average the USDA has set for us, we must go up a minimum of 10 cents," Carter said.
Carter explained that the USDA wants prices for full-price meals to reflect the reimbursement for free and reduced lunches, so that funds for free and reduced lunches don't subsidize regularly priced meals.
Breakfast prices will remain the same at $1.50 for all students and adult prices are not changing from their current cost of $3.50 because they already exceed the free and reduced lunch reimbursement amount.
In other business, the school board members voted to approve the results of the district's annual Legislative Audit Report.
Terri Raskiewicz, chief financial officer for the district, said the district had a successful, clean audit. State auditors found no material weaknesses in the district's internal controls, and found the district's management of federal funds was in compliance with all laws.
Raskiewicz credited school staff members' dedication to doing things right from day-to-day for the good report.
School board members also voted to hire Michele Markovich as principal of Main Street Academy for the upcoming school year, and Josh Killian as assistant principal.
The school board voted to take charge of the alternative high school during a special meeting on April 3. The district previously contracted with Northstar Institute LLC for alternative learning services, until owner Gary Markovich announced his retirement last month.
Michele Markovich, a graduate of John Brown University and Harding University, worked at Main Street Academy for 16 years as a language arts teacher before becoming principal in February of 2009, according to a letter recommending her for the position from Superintendent Ken Ramey.
"She was honored as Alternative Learning Educator of the Year in 2013 and is a truly remarkable leader with a heart for her students," Ramey wrote. "She understands the challenges that ALE students must overcome and she equips them to meet those challenges."
Killian, a graduate of the University of Arkansas, taught social studies for three years at the Siloam Springs Middle School and coached seventh-grade football and high school baseball, before becoming Main Street Academy's assistant principal three years ago.
"He and the staff at Main Street Academy provide a quality, student-centered education for MSA students," Ramey wrote.
The school board took the following additional actions:
• Approved updated school board policies for licensed and classified personnel for the upcoming school year.
• Accepted the resignation of KaLee Holloway, a first-grade teacher at Allen Elementary School.
• Approved the transfer of five students from the Siloam Springs School District to the Gentry School District.
General News on 04/19/2017