School lunch prices to go up in Laporte

In the summer of 1996, through some connections, I landed a part-time gig writing for two weekly newspapers: The Cass Lake (Minn.) Times and the Northwoods Press of Nevis, Minn. During the summer while I was interning at The Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer, I also wrote a number of features and covered some Laporte (Minn.) School Board meetings for these two papers. I ended up with some great stories, and received a food following among their readers.

By Devlyn Brooks

Students eating lunch every day in Laporte School District next year will be spending about $18 more for their meals, and adults who eat every day could spend as much as $45 more.

The Laporte School Board voted unanimously last Monday to raise the price of each student lunch by 10 cents and each adult lunch by 25 cents to offset some of the losses incurred by the food service program.

Superintendent Tom Behounek had earlier informed the board there was about a $15,000 shortfall in the food service revenues for the 1996-97 school year, and had suggested the board look at raising prices.

The increases will raise kindergarten through third grade prices from $1.05 to $1.15, the fourth grade through sixth grade prices from $1.30 to $1.40, the seventh grade through 12th grade from $1.60 to $1.70 and adults from $1.75 to $2.

This will not affect the reduced meal price of 40 cents. Behounek said, because that is a state-mandated price.

"It still won't get you to the point of getting even," said Behounek, referring to the food serve shortfall, "but it will get you closer."

One of the major reasons why the costs are high, he said, is the student labor costs. He said the school district pays out about $7,000 in student labor each year, but the labor is needed to efficiently serve the lunches.

"If you jack it 10 cents more people are going to expect more," said Jim Day, board chairman. He said people already complain about things such as serving sizes, so he said Behounek should be ready to handle complaints.

IN OTHER ACTION THE BOARD:

SWORE into office Day and newly-elected member Tim Goose.

ELECTED Day chairperson; Sharon Shuster, vice chairperson; John Seegmiller, clerk; and Karla Hadrava, treasurer.

VOTED to keep the same official depositories as last year: First National Bank of Walker and the Minnesota School District Liquid Asset Fund.

VOTED to keep an affiliation with the Minnesota School Board Association at a cost of about $1,300.

VOTED to keep an affiliation with the Minnesota State High School League; there is no cost for the membership.

VOTED to keep the same board meeting dates and times, second and fourth Mondays of the month at 7:30 p.m., unless there is not enough business to justify a second meeting. At that time, the second meeting would be cancelled.

TABLED a vote on board recording secretary until the school administrative secretary is hired. The board agreed they wanted to reserve the recording secretary position to see if whomever is hired for the administrative secretary wants the job.

VOTED to keep 1996-97 school year extracurricular gate fees at current prices: $1 per student per event, $1 per adult per event and no more than $5 per family per event. There are other discounts that will stay the same.

VOTED to raise substitute teacher pay from $65 to $70 per day.

NOMINATED Shuster, Day, Hadrava and Jay Buchanan to the negotiation committee.

NOMINATED Seegmiller, Day and Goose to the personnel committee.

TABLED nominations to nine other committees until next meeting.

NOMINATED Tim White as representative to the MSHSL, Goose as representative to the Bemidji Regional Interdistrict Council, Shuster as representative to the North Country Vocational Cooperative Center and Hadrava as representative to the Early Childhood Advisory Committee.

APPROVED staying with the current worker's compensation program through the Minnesota School Boards Association Insurance Trust at a cost of $13, 707.

APPROVED staying with current student insurance program, Student Assurance Services, for an annual premium of $6,700.

APPROVED the Truth in Taxation hearing dates of Dec. 9 and Dec. 16.

APPROVED a new way of auditing monthly bills. The board established a monthly schedule so that each board member other than the treasurer will audit bills twice a year. The treasurer and one other board member are required to see the bills each month.

TABLED a discussion on a staff development report.

TABLED a discussion on the way report cards are recorded and distributed.

HEARD an update on the school administrative secretary position; no applications have been received.

HEARD an update eon the technology grant the district received. Behounek said between the two grants received, the school will get about $80,000.

APPROVED the hiring of Dave Lundquist as junior high football coach and assistant boys' basketball coach, Eric Gohl as junior high boys' basketball coach and assistant baseball coach, Lisa Coborn as assistant girls' basketball coach, Carrie Raddatz as junior high girls' basketball coach and assistant softball coach, Terry Schroeder as head softball coach and Rich Morehouse as head baseball coach.

The positions of head football coach, assistant football coach, head volleyball coach, assistant volleyball coach, junior high volleyball coach, head boys' basketball coach and cheerleading advisor remain open.