Marion County Schools keep kids fed another year
The Community Eligibility Program provides universal meal service to children in high poverty areas through the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act passed by President Barack Obama in 2010. The program will feed potentially up to 7,000 children each day, with 21 schools participating in the program.
"We know academic achievement increases when our students are well-fed and ready to learn, and we must provide secure and reliable access to nutritious meals so all students have a chance to achieve at the highest level possible," Superintendent Donna Heston said.
Schools are eligible if at least 25% of a school's student population is directly certified for free meal benefits. If that threshold is hit, the entire school qualifies for the option. This approach is an alternative to collecting, approving and verifying household eligibility for free and reduced price lunch for students in high poverty Local Education Agencies. The CEP is not unique to Marion County Schools, districts all over the country apply to the program.
The 2017 Feeding America report says that in West Virginia, more than 14% of residents and more than 79,000 children live in food insecure households.
Heston said the school district offers backpack programs, which sends students home with items from food pantries for the evening and weekends. It also helps grand families, which are families where children are raised by grandparents. Heston said West Virginia is the second highest in the nation when it comes to grandparents raising school aged children.
Marion County Board of Education met a final time before students return to class on Wednesday. Heston reported that due to the hard work of school district staff, all schools will open on time despite extensive construction and repair work at Watson Elementary and Monongah Elementary. Watson had a roof replacement from the Father's Day Flood and there was asbestos mitigation at Monongah.
"That's a testament to our teachers and all of the staff at Watson," Heston said. "They want to make that building the absolute best it can be when they welcome families."
The Board of Education also approved a roughly $200,000 bid from the Huffman Corporation for a mantrap entrance at East Fairmont Middle School. The district is working at installing mantraps at its schools, with funding from the West Virginia School Building Authority helping pay for nine mantrap entrances at other schools in the County. The project is forecast to be finished next year.
Board member Donna Costello noted the school district was losing more of its maintenance staff, leaving the department at half strength. Heston replied they have 11 maintenance personnel for 21 schools.
"They are retiring, and as we know, the history that they have we cannot replace in Marion County Schools and the knowledge of those buildings," Heston said. "Roofers, electricians are vital roles."
Costello asked if the tests the state mandates trade personnel must pass are bottlenecking the hiring process, calling the tests antiquated. Heston said the state is in the process of updating the tests.
The board is set to provide Heston with her goals for the new school year sometime in the next few weeks. The next regular session is Sept. 2.
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