District served breakfast, lunch to nearly 150 students per day in July

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

In the month of July, the Charles City School District served lunch to an average of 149 students each day and breakfast to an average of 146 students each day.

The Charles City School District Director of Finance Evan Marten presented the final numbers of the district’s summer meals program to the Board of Directors at Monday’s meeting.

Marten said that the district served a total of 2,665 breakfasts to students in July and 2,765 lunches. The numbers were down about 50% from June, when the district averaged nearly 300 breakfasts and lunches served per day.

Charles City Superintendent of Schools Mike Fisher said that the drop in number of students served from June to July follows the trend over the last five years.

“I think there are a lot of factors,” Fisher said. “I think a lot of people go on vacation in July. I don’t know if summer school impacts it, because we were doing deliveries, too.”

All the board members commented that the meals program was a positive one.

“Even though it dropped in July, it’s still providing a valuable service to hundreds of families that need it,” said director Scott Dight. “Thank you to everyone who works on that with Taher.”

Taher Inc. is the district’s food service management service. Charles City’s Summer Food Service Program ran through July 30. Participating students could receive two meals each weekday, and meals were provided to all children who attend Charles City Community Schools without charge.

Instead of meals being picked up at Washington Elementary School, as they were last summer, the district provided multiple neighborhood pickup locations this year.

Director Missy Freund said that the program was one of the most positive things a school district can do for a community. Fisher said that whatever the numbers are, the lunch program is worth it.

“If we were just serving one student, we’d still do it,” Fisher said.

In other action Monday, the board approved a change order requested by Director of Operations Jerry Mitchell for $209,557 for the track resurfacing project.

“It’s a bummer that this project isn’t going to be as cheap as we had hoped, but we are going to have a very fine track,” said Fisher. “We’re going to do it well and do it right.”

The original cost estimate for the project, approved by the board in the spring, was $269,000 for track resurfacing, which would include grinding the track down, repaving the blacktop, resurfacing and repainting the track.

Track boring about 18 months ago found that the original track was made out of a sand asphalt, but more recent boring has shown that the sand asphalt is crumbling and not in very good condition, and there was concern that continuing with the project would destroy all the original asphalt.

Essentially the contractor will now need to tear out the old track and completely build a new track, which will increase the cost an additional $209,557.

The project will now include reclaiming the existing asphalt/rock base up to a 10 inch thickness, furnishing and placing up to two inches of a new rock base, furnishing and installing a new four-inch asphalt mat, additional topsoil and seeding to taper the raised track elevation to existing grades.

The track resurfacing contractor is Woodruff Construction. There will be a five-year warranty on the work.

Fisher said the estimated date for completion of the track is Aug. 1, 2022.

“They are going to start as soon as track season is over,” Fisher said. “We have been assured that it will be done before football season. It will not interfere with football.”

He said the entire project will be paid for out of the reserve fund.

“We will not have to raise taxes or borrow the additional money,” Fisher said. “We have cash on hand for this.”

In other business Monday, the school board:
• Heard a musical presentation from Sam Naumann, Charles City Community Schools orchestra director, and orchestra students, who demonstrated their skills with some musical selections.
• Approved the EMC Insurance policy totaling $293,549 as discussed and the cyber policy totaling $6,565. Robert Ingram with Sisson & Associates discussed changes to the policy. There is an 11% increase this year.
• Approved the handbooks as amended and updated for the 2021-2022 school year.
• Approved the resignation of Misty Felder, middle school para-educator, effective Aug. 23.
• Approved the transfers of Angel McKenzie and Sheila Devereaux from part-time library aides to full-time library aides.
• Approved the transfer of Stena Schmidt from half-time HSAP to full-time HSAP/Innovative Campus, at a salary of $51,908.
• Approved the transfer of Christine Schlader from Bus Aide to Bus Driver/Groundsworker, at a wage increasing from $17.25 to $18.11.
• Approved the appointment of Jane Offerman, River Hills Bus Aide, at a wage of $15.39 per hour, effective Aug. 23.
• Approved the appointment of Nik Aikey, high school custodian, at a wage of $17.07 per hour, effective Aug. 23.
• Approved the appointment of Joshua Dean, middle school wrestling coach, at a salary of $3,656, effective Aug. 23.
• Approved the appointment of Jeremy Rogstad, 10th-grade assistant varsity football coach, at a salary of $3,361, effective Aug. 9.
• Approved the appointments of four full-time para-educators, each at a salary of $15.39 per hour, effective Aug. 24. They are Cassidy Mougey, Payton Johnston, Alyssa Nauman and Katlyn Holzer.
• Approved the appointments of several teacher induction mentors, each at a salary of $750, effective Aug. 23. They are Robert Pittman, Angie Holzer, Janet Hansen, Eric Johannigmeier, Amy Spieker, Kellie Boggess, Lindsey Staudt, Jessica Nelson, Jacob Gassman, Stephanie Hervol, Alex Nordmeyer, Kelly Bailey, Kimberly Niichel, Alexis Whealy, Marie Conklin, Michelle Williams, Naomi Yaddof, Brittany Brewer, Sheila Etherington, Michelle Grob and Chealsey Moen.