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Corinth School District officials
approve meal cost increase
Published Thursday, July 16
By Jebb Johnston
Staff Writer
The rising cost of serving meals will force an increase in school breakfast and lunch prices for Corinth students in the coming school year.
The district’s board of trustees on Monday approved a recommended price increase to $1 for a student breakfast and $2 for a student lunch for 2009-2010. That’s an increase of 25 cents.
“We have gone several years without increasing the prices of student and adult lunches,” said Superintendent Lee Childress. “We have seen milk go up and we have seen the cost of our food go up. We also have seen some increased labor costs as we attempt to pay competitive wages to our individuals that work in our food service program … We just feel that we really don’t have much choice.”
Adult meal prices are set by the state and will be $1.85 for breakfast and $2.80 for lunch.
Childress noted that a number of districts raised lunch prices last year. In other business:
• The superintendent reported that the beginning of construction of the new elementary school at Droke and South Harper is making good progress. Plumbing has been installed for the first- and second-grade wings, and they have passed inspection.
“I anticipate them being ready to pour the slab on the first- and second grade building by the end of the week or the first of next week,” said Childress.
Interior work is moving along on schedule at the junior high school, he said.
• The board approved the teacher salary schedule and a 2 percent base salary increase for assistant teachers.
• Jack Jones of 122 Caroline Street told the board that he and his wife wish to purchase a 50 foot by 200 foot strip of property owned by the district and neighboring their property. The plan to close the East Corinth Elementary campus prompted the request. Jones said it is a narrow strip of land that would not affect the overall property.
Childress said the board will be able to divide the property as it sees fit when the time comes to sell. No action was taken on the request.
• The superintendent reported on the district’s new “Promise School,” which began this week to ease students into the kindergarten experience. About 50 are participating. Children are being evaluated in things such as their ability to recognize colors, shapes, numbers and letters and correctly hold a pencil.
“A lot of people are doing things -- and we are too -- to address the dropout issue at the middle school and the high school level,” said Childress. “But I think if we can get children started early on, that will be one of the best things we can do.”
