Satellite kitchen proposal at Eleva nixed; Board approves 2015-16 breakfast and lunch prices

by Beth Kraft

The Eleva-Strum School Board at its regularly monthly meeting on Monday, July 13, approved several hires and heard the results of an investigation into the possible creation of a satellite kitchen to serve meal needs at Eleva Intermediate Elementary.

The idea was first broached to the Board at its June 8 meeting, but Board members expressed concerns about a few aspects of the satellite kitchen. Administrators and E-S Food Service Director Stephenie Ebsen agreed to do further research on the feasibility of the plan and report back.

The original idea called for meals to be prepared at E-S Central and transported to Eleva for breakfast and lunch.

Upon further investigation, school administrators, Ebsen and Eleva kitchen staff all agreed that the costs involved in implementing a satellite kitchen and some lingering logistical questions outweighed the potential benefits of transporting meals. All involved agreed to scratch the plan.

Also that night, the Board approved breakfast and lunch prices for the 2015-16 school year.

The Wisconsin DPI mandates that school districts determine their average price paid for free/reduced and full price student meals during the previous school year. Districts are then required to gradually increase prices each year to approach the difference between the free meal reimbursement and the paid reimbursement rates for the previous school year.

Districts are not required to increase meal prices by more than 10 cents per year.

At Eleva-Strum, breakfast and lunch prices for the coming school year are as follows: Reduced-price breakfast and lunch, 30 cents and 45 cents, respectively; PK-12 breakfast, $1.60; Adult breakfast, $2.25; PK-3 lunch, $2.55; Grades 4-6 lunch, $2.65; Grades 7-12 lunch, $2.82; Adult lunch, $3.80.

In other business that night, the Board approved the following:

• 2015-17 contract for elementary principal Marty Kempf

• hire Mark Rogness for regular route bus driver

• hire Anna Westaby for middle/high school music teacher

• co-curricular hires for Stephanie Knutson, C-Team volleyball coach; Tyson Gullicksrud, assistant high school football coach; James Hanke and Alaric Hulls, middle school football coaches

• request for unpaid leave for support staff employee Lori Reynolds

• 66.0301 agreement with Independence School District for technology assistant