Homemade cupcakes for parties will soon be history if the Mountain View School Board gives final approval to an updated wellness policy. The food service page on the district’s website is 3 years old, with a Student Wellness Policy dated 2006, revised in 2014 probably as a consequence of a “policy assessment” in that year. At their meeting on October 23rd, members heard a first reading of the policy amendments as proposed by administrators and the Board’s Policy Committee that further restricts the kinds of foods that will be available in the schools. The administration is concerned about the myriad of allergies and other issues that can arise from eatables not under control of the district.
The measure brings the district’s wellness program into compliance with recent state and federal regulations. The policy is reviewed every 3 years; the district’s community will be kept up to date every year. And foods available to students in the cafeteria will gradually be changing.
Some of that was on view in a presentation by Melissa Hatala, representing Nutrition, Inc., part of the Nutrition Group, headquartered in Irwin, PA, the company that manages Mountain View’s food service. She described several “events” that hope to introduce students to new foods as a free “taste-testing” opportunity on Wednesdays. Ms. Hatala said that her organization tries to buy local produce when possible, partnering most recently with Russell Farms.
Following the Lord’s Prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, the Board entertained a report from Matt Dougherty, Student Government representative, that listed and described the many activities and events happening in the High School.
Matt Dougherty reporting to the School Board
They also heard from Senior Ben Galvin, who spent his Junior year in Thailand as an exchange student through the Rotary Club. He learned a little of the Thai language, enjoyed the variability of Thai food, and described Thai school classes as a “free for all.”
Exchange student Ben Galvin (center) with his family, and School Board President Michael Barhite (left)
The Board’s Finance Committee presented a rundown of expenses for the recent period – orally. The printed reports attached to the agenda could not be clearly correlated with the oral presentation, not least because the dates at the top of each page show only a single day. And, the list approved by the Board shows bills totaling $131,618.45 – for August 28, 2017, although it was shown as the “September 25, 2017 bill list.” An additional measure approved quarterly reports (dated September 30, 2017) for the High School Activities Account, the High School Scholarship Account, the Elementary School Activities Account and the Athletic Account, but no supporting documentation was available.
The Board went on to approve an amended “settlement agreement” for a particular student that, according to Superintendent Karen Voigt adjusted a timeline for the agreement. Such agreements generally result from a dispute over an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for a student served by special education programs. For legal and privacy reasons, the details of such settlements are not generally available.
The Board then approved an agreement with Transperfect of New York City for remote interpreting services. According to Ms. Voigt the service costs only $50 per year, plus costs for translation services as needed. Currently, Mountain View hosts only a single family, with 2 children who are eligible for English as a Second Language (ESL) services. Director of Curriculum & Instruction, Dr. Chris Lake, said that several years ago the school was host to a much larger number of speakers of foreign languages. So the requirement varies a lot, yet, as Ms. Voigt pointed out, the district is required to accommodate students in whatever language is native to them.
Among the many field trip requests, the Board approved the annual trip to Washington, DC for 64 students and 5 staff next May at a cost of over $11,000. Participating students are asked to contribute to the cost.
Director of Buildings and Grounds Robert Taylor reported that the fuel oil tank had been completely cleaned out, including about 10 inches of “sludge” that might actually have been residue of a heavier oil that might have been used for heating in the past. The tanks had not been closely examined, let alone cleaned, since they were installed many years ago.
Mr. Taylor also reported that the red truck and the PT Cruiser vehicle are both dead. He recommended trying to find an organization that will take them as a donation.
He also said that he had received only 2 responses to the district’s “Request For Qualifications” (RFQ) for a major energy project that is in the planning stages. Both will require some detailed analysis. One of the qualifying questions required that the respondent have been in business for 10 years. One of the responses was from a company that had been in and out of various mergers, so their answer to that question would have to be clarified.
Dr. Lake, Acting Elementary School Principal, reported that the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) had been especially active recently. They are sponsoring a craft fair on November 11.
High School Principal Rob Presley provoked a debate about the so-called “resource period” (RP) that has been part of the schedule, most often at the end of the day. He called the RP “pretty much a joke,” since students often simply leave early, and it serves no function as long as study halls are still available during the school day.
Mr. Presley also showed a photo of a PennDOT snowplow painted by Art Club students. The Department of Transportation asked schools to paint some of their plows; the Mountain View plow will be used in the Mountain View area. It was painted with automotive paint and clear-coated to protect it as much as possible. You can vote for your favorite by “liking” the PennDOT page on Facebook, and “liking” the plow of your choice. For more information, see http://www.penndot.gov/PennDOTWay/Pages/Article.aspx?post=55#vote, or search for PennDOT on Facebook.
Mountain View's entry in PennDOT's District 4 Paint The Plow program
Dr. Lake also announced that everyone in the communities served by the Mountain View School District will be asked to complete a brief survey to gauge the district’s “school climate.” The results will be reported to the state Department of Education.
Board President Michael Barhite said that the executive session that delayed the start of the board meeting by 15 minutes covered a variety of open positions, as well as discussion of the on-going negotiations with the teachers’ union.
An observer, a qualified substitute teacher, asked that the Board consider allowing administrators to hire substitutes without necessarily requiring a vote of the Board, which can often delay hiring when potential candidates are juggling open opportunities. Board member Dave Schulte asked if the Board had ever declined to approve substitutes nominated by the administration. When the response seemed to be never, the Board and administrators agreed to consider the proposition.
The updated wellness policy is sure to cause some turmoil, if for no other reason than that it involves changing long-standing practices. Dr. Lake said that the entire Mountain View staff will receive some training in the policy, in particular, how to handle parents with concerns.
The next public meeting of the Mountain View School Board is scheduled for Monday, November 13, 2017 sometime after 7:00pm in the board room in the Elementary School. Nutrition, Inc. does not commonly serve food at board meetings, healthy or otherwise.
