At Tuesday night’s meeting, the Caldwell County Board of Education addressed several key issues, including the appointment of a new board member, the approval of two new buses, and updates on the school nutrition program.
After interviewing two applicants in a closed session, the board reconvened in open session and voted 3-1 to appoint Jamie Bates to the District 1 seat, with Kim Cook casting the only nay vote.
The appointment follows Josh Ramage’s resignation, who was elected in November but stepped down before the first January meeting, prompting the school board to declare the seat vacant.
During the meeting, Food Service Director Aaron McClung reported that the district provides meals to nearly 1,900 students, having served approximately 90,000 breakfasts and 150,000 lunches so far this year.
click to download audioHe noted that the federal reimbursement for the 2023-24 school year was $1.1 million, while this year’s amount is approximately $770,604.
Additionally, McClung noted that the application process for the summer feeding program has yet to open.
He mentioned that the elementary school would be utilized for the summer feeding program.
click to download audioMcClung stated that any child in Caldwell County under 18, regardless of income, is eligible for the summer feeding program.
During new business, the board unanimously approved the proposed $20 per hour rate for employees of the summer feeding program.
In other matters, Superintendent Dr. Jeremy Roach recommended the purchase of two new diesel buses.
click to download audioHe stated that one of the buses is a conventional model, while the other is a handicap-accessible bus, with the total cost for both being approximately $336,682.
The Board also discussed designating March 17th as a makeup day.
In other action, the Board reviewed the Local Planning Committee’s findings regarding the district facility plan and approved the establishment of a Local Planning Committee.
