Students will now use cards in cafeteria

The Niles school board also accepted the high school principal’s resignation.

By TIM YOVICH

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

NILES — After more than a year of discussion, high school students will be issued identification cards for use in the cafeteria.

“It’s about time,” board member Robert Marino Sr. said Thursday night after the board unanimously agreed to contract with Food Service Solutions Inc. from Altoona, Pa., for $23,000 for the swipe-card system.

Superintendent Rocco D. Adduci said all of the 900 students will be issued the cards. The cards with individual pin numbers will activate their photographs on a screen for identification.

Each card, which doesn’t have to be displayed by students, also will have the individual’s photo on it.

The board has talked at length about a swipe-card system so qualified students who use the district’s free and reduced-price lunch program to which they are entitled won’t be known to other students.

The system was rejected in March 2006, one reason being that some parents felt the information on the card in some way might be made public.

Marino brought use of the system before the school board three months ago because students are unable to study properly when they are hungry.

Other business

In other business, the board accepted the resignation of Mark Pallante as high school principal.

Pallante tendered his resignation earlier this month after he was named high school principal and athletic director for the LaBrae School District.

Pallante accepted the LaBrae positions after his job was posted as being vacant by Adduci.

There was talk that although he had a year left on his contract, Adduci was going to move Pallante from the high school principal’s job and assign him to work out of the administrative offices.

Adduci said he would have the high school principal’s position filled by the board’s July 26 meeting, if not before.

Also, the board intends to place an emergency, five-year renewal levy to generate $1.3 million annually on the November general election ballot.

The county auditor will determine the millage to generate the funds. Currently, property owners are paying 4.55 mills to generate the $1.3 million annually, said district Treasurer Linda Molinaro.

yovich@vindy.com