SMETHPORT — The Smethport Area School Board awarded a contract Monday to The Nutrition Group of Irwin to provide food service management services as outlined in their proposal according to the United States Department of Agriculture and Pennsylvania Department of Education guidelines.
Service is to begin Jan. 1, 2019.
“The contract ends June 30 with an option to renew up to four years,” said Business Manager Sue Jordan.
“We’ve been consulting with this company since Toni Morris retired as food service manager in July, and we have developed a great relationship,” Superintendent David London said. “This fall the district requested proposals to award a contract to a food service management company on an annual basis.”
According to London, PDE’s Bureau of Food and Nutrition must approve this action by the district, a process that could take about one month.
“All cafeteria workers will retain their jobs because they are district employees,” London noted.
A student advisory committee is to be formed to provide input to the new company’s management.
The Nutrition Group, which provides food services to schools in grades K-12, already has contracts with the Bradford, Austin, Port Allegany, Johnsonburg and St. Marys districts.
In his report to the board, London said the district has already begun collecting data from the PA Department of Education School Climate Data Collection Tool, an annual survey that will help the district in grant writing, school safety, and overall school climate improvement and make changes for the future. Data will be collected from staff, students, parents and community.
Right-to-Know requests, which allow the public access to some information about the schools, have, in many cases, become burdensome and expensive for districts because they can be frivolous, although some are legitimate,” London noted. “Statewide statistics show that the average cost for the requests is $113.06 to the districts, and for solicitors that cost jumps to $235.04. That’s money diverted from students.”
London reported the district will initiate a winter walking program which will allow registered people to walk in the halls when there is a home athletic event. Even though security is now tighter with the new system, walkers can walk from 7-7:30 p. m. if they are registered with the administrative office.
In other business, directors voted unanimously against any change orders for this summer’s renovation project at both schools. Proposals included locker rooms painting, elementary office carpeting and three phases of concrete work at the elementary school.
The administration has received the OK to discard an old scale from the elementary nurse’s office, a dishwasher from the Life Skills classroom and a milk cooler from the elementary cafeteria.
Directors accepted the high bid of $1,000 from Angela Clouser for a property in Hazel Hurst as presented by the McKean County Tax Claim Bureau.
In personnel matters, Michelle Acker, Katie Freer and Colleen McClain were granted leaves of absence. Bill Stephen was hired as a day-to-day secondary science substitute teacher from approximately January 26, 2019, to March 11, 2019. Eric Lutz was named a volunteer boys’/girls’ basketball coach, while Amanda Davis was approved as a volunteer girls’ basketball coach, pending proper paperwork.
Field trips for the elementary grades were also approved.
