Jonathan Hicks, director of support services/food service director, updates the Tucker County BOE about the facilities and food services in the county during Monday’s BOE meeting.
By Beth Christian
Broschart
The Parsons Advocate
PARSONS – Tucker County Board of Education members received an update on food services as well as the facilities Monday during their regular meeting. Tucker County Director of Support Services/Food Service Director Jonathan Hicks said 58 to 61 percent of Tucker County students are receiving free or reduced lunch.
“Since I have been here, it has always been in that ballpark,” Hicks told Board Members. “Of the kids who are eligible for free or reduced lunch, about 68 percent of those eligible for free breakfast eat and 61 percent of those eligible for reduced meals eat breakfast. Only 50 percent of those private pay students eat breakfast.”
Hicks said the success of breakfast comes from some of the new initiatives including breakfast in the classroom and breakfast after first. “That is why our numbers are pretty good – we give the students the opportunity to eat.”
Of those eligible for free lunch, Hicks said 70 percent eat lunch, 65 percent of those eligible for reduced lunch eat lunch and 51 percent of private pay students eat lunch. “We are a little below the state percent.”
Hicks said DTEMS breakfast participation is 75 percent. “That is one of the highest in the state,” Hicks said.
A new program Tucker County is offering is an after school snack program. “So many kids stay after school whether it is for academic or athletic reasons, they will receive a free snack,” Hicks said. “Because of our percent of free and reduced lunch in our elementary schools, all of kids qualify for the free snack program after school. So we will offer that – it’s simple – two or three items such as a fruit and a milk or milk and a granola bar – just enough to get them through while they are at the school.”
Switching to the facilities, Hicks told members about a preliminary submission he did to the School Building Authority. “Basically, I met with the SBA to go over the projects,” Hicks said. “We have identified the Tucker County High School HVAC completion as the best project that would most likely be funded,” Hicks said. “There is a decent possibility that the TVEMS combined with that is what we are going to submit. They may take one of those off, but it’s likely we will submit both.”
Hicks said the submission for funding is based on safety. “The doors get propped open and that affects the safety and wellness of the students as well as the security of the building,” Hicks said. “The heat in the classrooms makes it unbearable sometimes. That is the angle the SBA has recommended we go. The ideal scenario is we get funded for both of these projects.”
He reminded the BOE that matching funds helps secure project monies.
In other business, Tucker County BOE took the following actions:
-Voted to approve the terms of engagement with Bowles Rice LLP.
-Voted to approve the AR 360 subscription at TVEMS.
-Voted to approve the student transfer requests.
-Voted to approve a field trip request and out of state travel request.
-Voted to accept the resignation/retirement for athletic coordinator at TVEMS, Jimmy Ambrose. Tucker County BOE member Bud Parsons commended Ambrose for a good job.
– Voted to hire Carrie Shahan as ProStart Instructor at TCHS, pending WVDE testing; Brittany Taylor, fourth grade teacher TVEMS; Dale Landsberry, fifth grade teacher TVEMS; Stephanie Hood, sixth grade teacher TVEMS; Isaac Kahler, substitute teacher; Donna Bolinger, bus aide, bus 2A; and Minnie Sponaugle, bus aide 16A.
The next regular Tucker County BOE meeting is slated for 4:30 p.m. Sept. 8 at the Tucker County Board of Education Office.