BSB updated on food safety program, ac issues

BLEVINS – The Blevins School Board met Monday night at 6:30 p.m. in the Administration Building.

Among the points of interest that came up, was a report from Natalie Jones on her attendance of a Food Safety and Nutrition training program. This week-long program, sponsored and implemented by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) was held in Washington, D.C. The program covered a broad range of relevant topics, from safe food preparation and nutrition, to cosmetics safety and issues on drug use. Jones gave a presentation to the school’s faculty. She expressed while it had been a busy week, it had overall been a very good experience. Jones expressed interest in other science teachers attending the program in the future. 

While the board assessed the first week of school, it was mentioned the new cafeteria program was well received, especially by the elementary school. This new program, the K-12 Culinary Connection, was unanimously approved by the board back in June, despite it being a new expenditure for the district. This was done in order to ensure higher quality cafeteria options for both students and teachers. It was noted at present that the K-12 Culinary Connection is not yet fully operational, the last bit of training being completed this week. It is expected there will be a sort of ‘big reveal’ next week, meant to showcase all the new cafeteria program has to offer. This being the case, the current improvements to the cafeteria are largely attributed to the new Cafeteria Manager David McClain. Superintendent Stephanie Dixon took a moment to praise his efforts, her high opinion echoed by the rest of the board.  

Another issue raised was in regard to the car used by the Driver’s Ed program. Apparently the two front tires of the vehicle are in bad repair, but as it stands, the cost of new tires overshadows the value of the car itself. Currently, the board is looking at either purchasing a new vehicle for the program, or dropping the program altogether. If the district were to purchase a vehicle, the board discussed its preferences: that it be used but have a low mileage, and – ideally – have a decent passenger capacity. Last week a teacher had to use their own vehicle to transport a small number of students to a golf tournament due to one of the buses being down. Hopefully a new school vehicle could be used for such circumstances, as well as the Driver’s Ed program. The other option is shutting down the program entirely, the more cost-effective of the two choices. The board was reluctant to do this, certain the program would be sorely missed. There was also the potential option of renting a car for just the time needed. As it stands, the board has not yet made a decision. 

Other notes from the evening include deciding on a bid to replace the gymnasium air conditioning, which died suddenly, and a petition to accept the transfer of a student into the Blevins School District.