SCHOOLS On food offerings, board compromises

Salad also will be available daily in the sack lunch for high schoolers.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Soup will be available for breakfast and at the end of the school day at Warren G. Harding High School and more nutritious offerings will be available in vending machines beginning next school year.
That was a compromise agreed to by school board members at a meeting Tuesday.
Nedra Bowen, a board member, had wanted more nutritious and hot food available on each floor of the school.
At a meeting last month, Linda Metzendorf, school board president, had appointed Bowen and Edward Bolino, another board member, to a committee to work with the administration to come up with recommendations for a high school meal plan.
No lunch period
The high school ended its lunch period several years ago to cut down on disruption and allow additional time for instruction. Students are permitted to eat during their classes and vending machines and sack lunches have been available.
A handful of teachers attended Tuesday's meeting concerned about returning to a schedule with a lunch period.
Frank Supancic, one of those teachers, said the lunch periods took two hours out of the school day and there were 500 to 1,000 students in the hallways during that time. It also required 16 teachers be used for lunchroom duty.
"There was a lot of chaos and a lot of confusion," he said.
Eliminating lunch periods also got rid of a $100,000 deficit in the cafeteria fund, Supancic said.
"I'm asking that you allow us to continue to work under these [current] conditions," he said.
The proposal reached by Bowen's and Bolino's committee had called for kiosks on each floor and in the cafeteria to sell food with one day a week offering hot pizza in the sack lunch.
Cost of proposal
That proposal included a $37,581 price tag including equipment and additional personnel and their benefits.
"I have no problem with nutritious items, but I do have a problem with hiring three additional people," said Lynn Gibson, a board member.
Metzendorf suggested the addition of more vending machines with healthier options. The vending machines are on each floor.
She also suggested hot soup be available for breakfast and at 1:30 p.m. at the school snack bar and that salads be available daily the sack lunches.
Bolino, Gibson and Robert L. Faulkner Sr. agreed, but Bowen wasn't satisfied.
"You're telling kids to stay after school and walk home to eat," she said.
The change will be effective for the school year, which starts next month.
"I look forward to the day when as much time is spent on academics as was spent on lunch when we already have a system that's working," Superintendent Betty J. English said after the meeting.