School lunch prices increase this school year

Students and staff will notice a higher price when buying lunch in Brown County Schools this year.

The school board approved a 10-cent increase at its Aug. 1 meeting.

The lunch price for students is now $3. The price for adult meals is now $3.65. A reduced-price student lunch is 40 cents.

The cost for a full-price student breakfast is $1.90. The cost for a reduced-price student breakfast is 30 cents.

The state requires school districts to look at their meal prices each year using the Paid Lunch Equity tool from the United States Department of Agriculture, according to an email Hammack sent to parents last week before the start of school.

At the school board meeting, Hammack reiterated that the increase was not a result of the district contracting with Chartwells K12 School Dining as their food service provider. “This is an increase that would have happened anyway,” she said.

A change in lunch price usually is approved earlier in the summer, but it was initially thought that prices wouldn’t need to go up this year, Hammack explained. The calculator showed otherwise.

School board OKs staff changes, policy updates

The Brown County Schools Board of Trustees approved the following June 27, July 18 and Aug. 1:

• Hiring Sue Thompson and Cheryl Wyman to work Brown County Junior High School registration July 30 and July 31 at a rate of $10 per hour.
• A job title change for Julie Garrity from superintendent administrative assistant to data specialist, $45,000, effective July 1. Superintendent Laura Hammack said the title change came about from a re-sort of responsibilities in the administration building. Everything Garrity is doing is related to student data management and report submission to the Indiana Department of Education. “I’m fairly self-sustaining. … There’s just not as much that would be under that domain (of administrative assistant), so it just seemed to make sense,” she said.
• Updates to support staff and administrator handbooks for implementation on July 1.
• A request for teacher Lauren Spiece to attend the Comprehensible Midwest Conference in Milwaukee, Wisc., Sept. 27-29, and for Spiece to chaperone a student trip to Costa Rica March 16-23.
• An hours increase for Tim Allanson, Career Resource Center of Brown County jail instructor, from five hours per week to seven-and-a-half hours per week from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020, $25 per hour without benefits. This is covered by the Dollar General Literacy grant.
• An operations fund resolution which was passed to ensure 15 percent was transferred from the district’s education fund to the operations fund when the general fund was dissolved and the two new funds were created.
• A property tax replacement credit resolution. It states that the district wants its portion of income tax from the county to go into its operations fund.
• Separating Van Buren Elementary School cafeteria worker Lindsey Lewis, effective May 30. This was not a termination.
• Separating BCJHS head wrestling coach Donald Vaught, effective June 11. This was not a termination.
• Separating Brown County High School head junior varsity baseball coach Colton Sample, effective June 12. This was not a termination.
• Separating BCHS assistant varsity baseball coach Thomas Parry, effective June 12. This was not a termination.
• Separating BCJHS special education teacher Ryan Oliver, effective June 18. This was not a termination. This includes all his extra-curricular activity responsibilities. To replace him in his teaching duties, SES special education teacher Megan Kakavecos was transferred to replace him effective July 1.
• Separating Sprunica Elementary School special education team leader Megan Kakavecos, effective June 19. This was not a termination. She was appointed as BCJHS special education team leader with a $2,226 stipend.
• Appointing Helmsburg Elementary School staff to extra duty positions for the 2019-2020 school year: Science Bowl sponsor Brenda Ely, $559 stipend; Spell Bowl coach Courtney Hitchcock, $559 stipend; Math Bowl coach Jill Miller, $559 stipend; high ability coach Michelle Joy, $2,226 stipend; special education instructional team leader Staci Harden, $2,226 stipend; instructional team leader Brenda Ely, $2,226 stipend.
• Appointing BCHS boys assistant varsity soccer coach Craig Norris, $1,535 stipend, effective Aug. 5.
• Appointing Brown County Intermediate School staff to extra duty positions for the 2019-2020 school year: Instructional team leader Mitzi Garman; instructional technology coach Erica Garman; special education coach Sheila Popplewell; high ability coach Steffanie Davis; Spell Bowl sponsors Lauren Lockdall and Kristen Sample; Math Bowl sponsors Mitzi Garman and Annette Fields; Science Olympiad Head Coach Mandy Austin and assistant coach Chris Miller; History Day sponsors Lauren Lockdall and Mary Kurdziel; student council sponsor Mary Kurdziel; choir teacher Daniel Lyng; band teacher Bridget Rinehimer; robotics teacher Chris Miller.
• Appointing BCJHS staff to extra duty positions for the 2019-2020 school year: math academic team coach Bruce Koopman; science academic team coach Kady Lane; social studies academic team coach Michael Potts; language arts academic team coaches Jane Phillips and Debi Sumner; History Day sponsor Amy Oliver; We the People sponsor Michael Potts; National Junior Honor Society sponsor Terri Whitcomb; Spell Bowl coach Alyssa Stanley; Science Olympiad Head Coach Erich Nolan and assistant coach Kevin Roush; Robotics Club sponsor Kaitlyn Christie; student council sponsors Kevin Roush and Mike Harmon; band teacher Matt Finley; choir teacher Daniel Lyng; high ability coach Amy Oliver; instructional leader Sarah Cochran; instructional technology coach Tim Hebert.
• First and second readings of NEOLA policy updates related to the following topics: Leaves of absence for administrators; employment of personnel for extra-curricular activities, administrators, professional and support staff; personal background checks, etc. for administrators, professional and support staff; mandatory curriculum program; reproductive health and family planning program; dyslexia screening and intervention program; annual performance report program; employment of casual resource personnel, professional staff; discipline for professional staff; suspension of teachers without pay, professional staff; supplemental pay for teachers, professional staff; leaves of absence for professional and support staff; administrative leaves of absence with pay for professional staff; entrance requirements for students; use of medication by students; student concussions and sudden cardiac arrest; student suicide awareness and prevention; graduation requirements; bullying of students; search and seizure for students; internal control standards and procedures for finances; fiscal planning; cost savings incentive program; petty cash; system of accounting; facility security program; letter of reference of employment reference; coach training; child abuse and neglect; food service program; transportation; public attendance at school events; responsible use of social media.
• Modification of the Brown County Schools Wellness Policy to include “For high school, low calorie (40 calories/8 fl. oz or 60 calories/12 fl. oz.) and no calories (10 calories/20 fl. oz.) beverages, with or without caffeine and/or carbonation, flavored water.” The modification allows for the sale of drinks like Vitamin Water, Coke Zero and other beverages for students that meet federal guidelines, Superintendent Laura Hammack said. At a high school in Greene County, which is smaller than BCHS, the rate of return on the vending machines was $25,000 annually after implementing a similar policy to allow the drinks to be sold, Hammack added. “This allows us to expand beverage options a little bit and hopefully provide a little bit more choice for our students at lunch time,” she said.
• BCHS extracurricular activity positions for 2019-2020: band director Matt Finley; choir director Kristi Billings; summer band director Matt Finley; fall and spring musical director Laurie Godfrey; spring pit director Matt Finley; musical choir director Kristi Billings; yearbook, newspaper and Aquila adviser Greg Mosley; student council advisers Alecia Adams and Emily Lewellen; junior class sponsors Cheryl Fox and Julie Miller; dance director Kristi Billings; senior class sponsor Pam Bond; History Day sponsor Emily Lewellen; History Club sponsors Emily Lewellen and Alecia Adams; Spanish Honor Society sponsor Lauren Spiece; Thespian Honor Society sponsor Laurie Godfrey; National Honor Society sponsors Lauren Spiece and Eric Fohl; summer, fall and winter flags director Lacey Dresslar; social studies academic team coach Jay Myers; Spell Bowl coach Eric Fohl; English academic team coach Rebekah Bryan; fine arts academic team coach Brian Galm; science academic team coach Shanna Carpenter; math academic team coach Sarah Adams; interdisciplinary academic team coach Brian Galm; Science Olympiad coach Wendy Weddle; robotics coach Chris Townsend.
• An updated enrollment forecast to the 2016 fiscal integrity and facility adequacy study, to be conducted by Don Dyck.
• Separating BCJHS assistant football coach Brian Parrish, effective July 12. This was not a termination.
• Separating BCHS special education teacher Ashley Hendee, at the conclusion of the 2018-2019 school year. This was not a termination.
• Separating SES paraprofessional Gracie Morgan, effective July 1. This was not a termination. BCIS paraprofessional Suzie Watson was transferred to replace her, effective Aug. 5.
• Appointing BCHS girls assistant varsity basketball coach Amanda Doss, $3,324 stipend, effective July 1. She is a replacement for Daisha Holt. Holt was transferred to girls junior varsity coach, $3,324 stipend, effective July 1, as a replacement Ronna Snyder.
• Appointing BCJHS seventh-grade head football coach Sean Cassiday, $2,302 stipend, effective July 1. He is a replacement for Shannon Hall.
• Appointing BCJHS eighth-grade head football coach Joel Lewis, $2,302 stipend, effective July 1. He is a replacement for Donald Asher.
• Appointing SES after-school care supervisor Maya Wilkerson, part-time without benefits, $14 per hour, three hours per day, 180 days per year. She is a replacement for Madison Frye.
• A leave request for Laura Hammack to attend the Women Superintendent’s Leadership Briefing at Apple, Inc. in Cupertino, California from Sept. 25 to 29. All costs for this trip are being paid for by Apple.
• The retirement of BCIS teacher Trisha Ulrich at the conclusion of the 2018-2019 school year. SES teacher Allison Crenshaw was transferred to replace her, effective Aug. 5.
• Disclosure of free and reduced lunch price information between the Brown County Weekend Backpacks program and Brown County Schools. “By this action we are able to share this information so Backpacks can distribute (backpacks of food) to families where free and reduced students reside,” Hammack said. This information is not shared outside of the Backpacks program, she added.
• Van Buren Elementary School extra-curricular activity positions for this school year: Cynthia Baughman, Michelle Wagers and Emily Gaither as Math Bowl coaches; Tina Robertson and Darlene Radloff as Science Bowl coaches; Robertson and Wagers as Spell Bowl coaches; Baughman and Debbie Olson as instructional team leaders; Jayne Jones as high ability leader; and Makenzie Duncan as instructional technology leader and special education team leader.
• BCHS extra-curricular activity instructional coaches for this school year: Alecia Adams, Paige Burton, Hillary Frye and Jim McFall as instructional team leaders; Adams and Emily Lewellen as high ability leaders; Kirk Wrightsman as instructional technology leader; and Barb Kelp as special education team leader.
• Transfer of an SES paraprofessional job classification for Matthew Owens from full-time with benefits to part-time without benefits, four hours per day, five days a week, effective Aug. 5. This was done at Owens’ request, Hammack said.
• A 10-cent increase for student lunches. The total cost for full price lunches will be $3. Meal price increases are required as indicated by the USDA Paid Lunch Equity Tool.
• A 10-cent increase for adult lunches. The total cost for adult lunches will be $3.65. Meal price increases are required as indicated by the USDA Paid Lunch Equity Tool.
• Separating SES general education teacher Rhonda Van Winkle, effective July 23. This was not a termination. Angeline Shirley was appointed to replace her, master’s degree, Level 5 ($45,200) with 12 years’ experience, full-time with benefits, effective Aug. 5.
• Separating BCJHS health teacher Ryan Wilcoxen, effective July 31. This was not a termination.
• Separating BCJHS eighth-grade boys basketball coach Ryan Wilcoxen, effective immediately. This was not a termination.
• Separating BCHS math teacher Sarah Adams, effective July 31. This was not a termination.
• Separating BCIS boys sixth-grade basketball coach Brad Williamson, effective July 29. This was not a termination.
• Appointing BCHS varsity girls soccer coach Alissa Newlin, $4,134 stipend, effective July 17. She is a replacement for David Phelps.
• Transferring BCJHS special education teacher Megan Kakavecos to SES general education teacher, effective Aug. 5. She is a replacement for Allison Crenshaw, who transferred to replace Trisha Ulrich at BCIS. To replace Kakavecos, BCIS special education teacher Sheila Popplewell was transferred to BCJHS special education teacher, effective Aug. 5.

New school food service director starts work

Brown County Schools has a new food service director: Donald Hymer. Former director Jason Kirchhofer now serves as the assistant director.

Hymer was brought on board after the school board approved a contract in May with Compass Group USA Inc. to take over the food service department through its Chartwell division.

The school district relinquished management of its food service program to Chartwell, which pledges to close the budget gap and have $25,000 in a reserve fund within the first year.

Hymer has food service experience and lives in Martinsville, Superintendent Laura Hammack said during the school board meeting on July 18. “He is excited to be in Brown County,” she said.

School textbook fees approved by school board

The Brown County School Board of Trustees approved textbook rental fees for elementary and intermediate school students on Aug. 1.

Each grade will see an increase in fees ranging between $3.71 and $8.95 more than last year.

Last year, parents of kindergartners paid $96.44. This year, that price is $102.45.

First-grade rental fees will be $98.37; last year it was $91.40. The fees for second-grade this school year are $100.35, which is the highest increase at $8.95 more than last year’s fee of $91.40.

Parents of third graders will pay $103.88. Fourth-grade parents can expect to pay $101.95.

Fifth-grade parents will pay $104.15 in fees and sixth-grade parents will pay $106.07. Both are less than a $5 increase over last school fees for those grades last year.

Junior high school and high school book fees are based on the classes each student takes. The board is expected to approve those fees at their Aug. 15 meeting.

Digital textbook fees for the 2019-2020 school year also were also approved on Aug. 2.

Kindergarten parents will pay $18.92 for digital text fees, like Spelling Vocab City. First-, second-, third- and fourth-grade parents will pay $29.42 for programs like IXL Learning.

Fifth-grade parents will pay $29.67 and sixth-grade parents will pay $38.67. Seventh- and eighth-grade parents will pay $40.97. High school parents will pay $44.94 for freshmen and sophomores, then $39.50 for juniors and seniors.

Fees will be collected after statements have been sent home. Credit and debit card payments will be accepted through eFunds by signing in to Skyward Parent Access.