Bottom line

School board members will be asked to approve an increase in the student meal plan.

The board has three options for the increase. The first option would increase the lunch price for elementary and secondary students by 5 cents. Elementary students would pay $1.70 while secondary students would pay $1.95.

In the second option, the lunch price for elementary students would increase to $1.75, which is 10 cents more, while the cost of lunch for secondary students would increase to $1.95, which is five cents more.

The third option would mean a 10-cent increase in lunches for elementary and secondary students. Elementary students would pay $1.75 and secondary students would pay $2.

Background

In the past five years, meal prices for students have increased by 5 or 10 cents. Paula Murrish, director of food services for the school district, wrote in a memo to board members that the food service department is self-supporting, meaning tax dollars don’t go into its funding.

“In today’s environment of rising costs this is a challenge,” Murrish wrote of being a self-supporting service. The food service department has seen a $116,000 increase in food costs in the past year, she wrote.

Other business

• Election of school board president
• Election of school board vice president
• Appoint board clerk, district treasurer, deputy clerk and deputy treasurer
• Adopt board meeting calendar for the 2004-2005 school year
• Establish board advisory, standing or temporary committees
• Designate an official newspaper and other news media for the 2004-2005 school year
• Designate authorized representatives for federal programs, attendance officers, Kansas Public Employees Retirement System and Freedom of Information officer
• Appoint a Kansas Association of School Boards governmental relations network representative
• Designate a 1,116-hour school plan
• Consider participation in child nutrition programs for the 2004-2005 school year
• Review milk bids for 2004-2005 school year
• Review of expense reimbursements and credit cards for the year
• Designate depositories for the 2004-2005 school year
• Consider a resolution designating a bank and signers on the district accounts
• Consider 2004-2005 enrollment fees
• Consider increase in USD 497 building use