KCS board meeting July 6

Posted: July 7, 2009

By Peter Adelsen

The Kokomo-Center Consolidated School Corp. board acknowledged Monday at the Administrative Service Center that the tough economic times may affect some of its students this upcoming school year.

The board had proposed changes to the Kokomo High School Lens student handbook that included offering a cheese sandwich and milk to students who could not afford that day's lunch because their family's financial stutus had changed. This would not affect those students on free or reduced lunch. Board member Cristi Brewer-Allen proposed an amendment to eliminate that provision.

"I think we have done a great job today of having anonymity between free and reduced and paid," said Brewer-Allen. "Nobody knows any of the wiser. I feel like if we do this that children will then know that child can't pay for his lunch and the ridicule will begin."

Fellow board member Harold Canady agreed with Brewer-Allen saying, "I think it singles that person out."

Dave Barnes, public relations consultant for Kokomo-Center Consolidated School Corp., said if a family's financial status has changed that the family could fill out paperwork to get free or reduced lunch to help those parents who cannot pay for their child's lunch.

The changes to the handbook were approved and the food provision was taken out. This was the case in the middle school handbook as well.

Canady noted that Kokomo High School's lunch period will be shortened by five minutes next year and that "it would be a problem" to do so with an open lunch.

"Would that not create an issue?" Canady said. "If we have an accident, I want to say I told you so."

Also this school year, sophomores will join the freshman class as not having an open lunch and Canady questioned if letters have been sent out notifying the students and parents.

School board President Joe H. Dunbar said there may have to be a special meeting to figure out a way to inform the students about the change in next year's lunch period.

In other news

The board approved Howard Regional Health Systems as the schools' physical therapist.

Kokomo Schools renewed its partnership with Ivy Tech State College.

The board approved the Learning Technology Competitive Grant that would allow students to check out laptop computers to work on schoolwork at home and to make laptops available in the classrooms. The computers taken home would not have Internet access.

The board approved a contract with Safe Hiring Solutions that would do comprehensive background checks on all hires. The cost associated would be the responsibility of the employee at $28 per applicant.

To reflect the changes in programming, Darrough Chapel Elementary School will now be called Darrough Chapel Early Learning Center since it will be home to the Head Start program, Superintendent Christopher Himsel said.

The lease or sale of Columbian Park School was approved.

In the election of school board offices, Joe Dunbar was elected president; Jim Callane, vice president; Wayne Luttrell, secretary; Eric Rody, treasurer; Gerri Smalling, deputy treasurer; and Rebecca Vent, school attorney.

Heide Gutwein was approved as the new Kokomo High School vice principal and she will begin July 20.

Link: http://kokomoperspective.com/news/local_news/article_e28f9b8d-c28c-57ed-9188-83b3c26966d9.html