Kimball school board approves spending requests

The Kimball County School Board approved various requests for spending at its regularly scheduled meeting held Monday night.

Food Service Director Danessa Terrill may get the go-ahead to purchase steam tables for the food serve program due to her team’s hard work.

Terrill reported that the program has had some success with new staff members, who bring fresh ideas and work to keep their areas organized and efficient.

“One of the main things that I have tried to do this year is take a really in depth look at our financial situation,” Terrill said.

Terrill said she has searched out lower-cost, but nutritious items that students will enjoy, and she said her efforts have paid off.

“I am very proud to say that so far this year the lunch account balance is down $1,728,” Terrill said. “Last year at this same time we were down $27,000.”

Terrill said that she has worked with Kimball Superintendent Marshall Lewis to ensure that the lunch program becomes self-sufficient and no longer relies on the general fund.

“I wasn’t quite sure that was even possible but it is looking brighter,” Terrill said.

According to board president Lynn Vogel, that deficit is much improved from years past when the board transferred approximately $90,000 to the program.

Terrill said that in her four-year tenure the program has undergone many changes, including a restructuring of staff that dropped personnel in the food service program from 10 employees to six.

“That has been a huge shift in everybody’s duties and how everything works in the whole department,” Terrill said. “I’ve gone from 68 labor hours down to 43 per day. So that in itself has made a big difference as far as money.”

The department is considering purchasing steam tables at each school to improve the quality of the food.

“Right now we have just a serving line with no way to keep the food warm,” Terrill said. ”My ultimate goal for the high school especially is to have everything just be self-serve, more like coming through a buffet line.”

Board members questioned the cost of steam tables, to which Terrill said there are many options to consider including gas versus electric and self service options.

“Honestly I would love to see what you come up with,” board member Jared Hunsaker said. “Because I look at this and if you really knocked out $25,000 in expenses, I’d be an easy sell and get your department some steam tables.”

Additionally, the board heard a request from Lewis and Athletic Director Ken Smith regarding the district’s need for a new pole vault pit as track season approaches.

The current pit has been out of compliance for a number of years and the district has nursed it along, going as far as to use old high jump mats to supplement the pit.

“Basically in 2002, 2003 our current pole vault pit dimensions were no longer legal. At the time, Mr. Williams was the superintendent and he asked me if it was in good shape,” Smith said. “I told him it was and he said that we should be grandfathered in.”

The plan at that time was to readdress the issue when it became a problem, though Smith reported that new pads have not been purchased in his 20 years with the district.

Since that time the landing pads on the pit have worn down so far that old high jump pad covers have been used to build that pad up and leveled it out.

“Obviously it has declined, down the line,” Smith said. “I got out the most recent rule book. They list specific requirements for pole vault pits. We measured and we don’t meet those.”

The district received a bid of $13,500, with an all-weather cover, delivered in time for the first track meet scheduled in Kimball at the end of this month.

“We are not in compliance with the regulations that NSAA has for a pole vault pit,” Lewis said. “We’ve actually kind of sat on it for awhile, but we had an opportunity present itself.”

Hunsaker further questioned administration about a request from Potter-Dix schools to purchase the old pit for practice reasons.

“That makes me nervous if we are playing the safety card,” Hunsaker said. “We need to do our due diligence and make sure we are not passing along the problem.”

Smith and Lewis asked the board for and received permission to purchase the pit, which exceeds all standards, when the item becomes available.

The board approved a time change to 6:30 p.m. for future regularly scheduled meetings, beginning with the April 13 meeting.