Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

Hurley board approves 10-cent lunch price increase

By RICHARD JENKINS

[email protected]

Hurley - The Hurley K-12 Board of Education approved a 10-cent increase for the price of lunch at its meeting Monday.

District Business Manager Michele Seibel told the board the increase was mandated by the federal government as the amount the district charged was below the average.

"The idea is the Feds do not want us supplementing paid lunches with the higher reimbursement we get for the free and reduced meals," said Seibel. "So each year we have to, in effect, raise our prices. The national average right now is $2.78, and our prices are quite below that and they are below a lot of schools within our ... immediate vicinity."

According to the information presented at the meeting, under the plan, elementary school students would pay $2.25 for lunch, grades six through 12 would pay $2.45 and the teacher/adult visitor price would be $3.85.

"And we feel that with our salad bar and the offerings we do have, I think that's a fair price. And it's not even really our choice at this point," Seibel said.

In other action:

- The board directed District Administrator Chris Patritto to replace the carpeted floors in as many carpeted rooms as the budget allows. According to Patritto, the floor replacement project has been on-going for the last four or five years as the budget allows. This year, the district budgeted $11,000 for the project, Patritto said, and received a quote from Action Floors in Mercer of $475 per square foot. The district should have a bit more than the budgeted amount, Patritto said, as the district's heating bill this winter was low.

- The board approved renewing the voluntary student accident insurance for another year.

- Patritto announced the district received a grant to purchase "smart tables." The grant is for $10,000, with the Hurley Education Foundation providing the required $10,000 in matching funds. The district plans to purchase five tables over the course of the summer.

-Following a closed session, the board approved the retirement of teacher aide Sue Thomas. It also approved hiring Rose Barbacovi as an English teacher, as well as volunteers John Maines and Serena Mershon.

-Dan Rye, who teaches a science, technology, engineering and math class in the district, updated the board on the progress his students are making. The presentation included a demonstration by several students of robots they programmed to complete specified tasks.