After state approval, school decides to start bowling team

By MARY R. SMITH
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
MINERAL RIDGE -- Mineral Ridge High School will have a bowling team this year.
The Weathersfield school board made bowling a winter sport, open to grades nine through 12, beginning in the 2006-07 school year.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association recently approved bowling as a sport, said schools Superintendent Michael Hanshaw.
He said students will bowl at McKinley Lanes in Niles. He said a coach will be named after he discusses with the teachers union what the salary should be for the position. Coaches' salaries are based on a percentage of the teachers' base pay.
In other business at the school board meeting Wednesday, Hanshaw reported that remodeling of the Middle School computer lab has been completed on a $30,000 budget. The lab, which is 15 years old, was painted and carpeted, and new Gateway XP computers were installed along with new furniture.
Food costs
Lunch prices in all three district school cafeterias were increased by 10 cents for both pupils and adults to help cover the cost of increased gasoline prices, which are being passed onto the schools by suppliers.
The lunch costs will now be:
High school students, $2.40.
Middle school, $2.10.
Elementary school, $1.85.
Adults, $2.85.
The board is still negotiating a new contract with representatives of the 28-member Ohio Public School employees association, which represents nonteaching employees. However, Hanshaw said a settlement is close. The one-year extension of their contract expired June 30.