Posted: 1/26/05
By MaryHelen Swanson
Being the first official meeting of the new year, the Rush City School Board organized itself by selecting a new chairman. Paul Pasche will take the lead at the meetings, backed up by Scott Tryon as vice chairman.
Mark Moulton will be board clerk and Pat Behtendt will serve as treasurer.
The board meetings will stay on the third Thursday of the month.
All other official business was taken care of last July. The board agreed to keep those appointments and will look at changing the time of year when official appointments are made to January as many other school boards do.
There were some changes in committee assignments, and all board members will be involved in the negotiation process this year.
Good news came from Food Service Director Donna Westman who reported that the food department fared very well in a recent, unscheduled inspection.
Unlike the Twin City media accounts of school kitchens with serious problems, Westman said, there were only three non-critical items and zero critical items.
The non-critical items included a need to dust inside a cabinet, put away a bleach bucket and move a cart that was in a spash zone. All issuses have been taken care of, she said.
The inspector found all food to be at the right temperatures, and no food on the floor.
It was an ìawesomeî visit, Westman said. Kitchen staff was, however, told they had to have covered coffee cups, they now do.
The visit was at the high school only. Westman said she had to make the report so people will know not all food services have problems.
Westman has been with the district for seven years.
She also reported the success of the districtís breakfast program attributed to good food that kids like such as breakfast burritos, breakfast sandwiches and the schoolís special breakfast pizza. For 75 cents, students receive a balanced, nourishing breakfast.
Supt. Redfield made note of donations from Grand Casino Hinckley: $2,000 toward defibrillators and $4,000 toward the pool. He noted that the community has been very supportive of special needs with their donations.
Finance director Laureen Frost also apprised the board of a school finance award that only 9 percent of school districts in Minnesota received.
Seniority lists were approved for teachers, bus drivers, food service workers, paraprofessionals and Title I workers.
Tryon recognized East Central Sanitation for diligence in starting buses at night during the very cold weather. Until the bus garage is finished, buses are being stored overnight at the ECS facility. The board wants the new bus garage done as soon as possible.
The regular February meeting was changed to Feb. 24, 7 p.m.
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