School Board OKs Updated Meal Program

The Cheyenne County School District No. 1 (Sidney) board of education approved an additional option to pay for school lunches.

Families have the options of paying lunch accounts with cash, check or credit/debit card. Payments can also be made through a link on the District's website. The District will notify families with children attending Sidney schools who may qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. A copy of the complete regulations will be available in the superintendent's office.

The District's policy on food service says the cost of the meals will be set by the board of education to be as nearly self-sufficient as possible. In the board meeting, Superintendent Jay Ehler said the rates were raised “minimally” from last year, and that the lunch account is healthy.

By District policy, if a student has no funds in his or her lunch account to pay for a meal, the student will be provided with up to five limited “courtesy meals,” referred to in the policy as plain sandwich. After the five meals, if a student has no money in his or her account, no food will be provided. No student who qualifies for free lunches will be denied a reimbursable meal. The policy says if a student repeatedly lacks funds to purchase a meal, has not brought a meal from home and is not enrolled in a free meal program, the district will use its resources and contacts to protect the health and safety of the child. Failure of the parents or guardians to provide for the students may result in mandatory reporting to child protection services, according to the policy.

The board also approved the Title IX Policy. The policy outlines procedures for complaints and how to seek resolution.

The board also approved the policy on Testing and Assessment Program, approved the Elementary, Middle School and High School handbooks, and the South Platte Mitigation Plan and discussed LB 644 Joint Tax Hearing Legislation. In 2021, the Nebraska Legislature passed LB644, known as the “Truth in Taxation” law. LB644 defines an “allowable growth percentage” as a percentage equal to the sum of 2 percent plus the political subdivision's real growth percentage. LB644 also includes a meeting with all local taxing districts proposing to raise their tax rate above the set amount. Locally, the meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 19 in the commissioners meeting room. The District will know if it exceeds the 2 percent cap as the budget is prepared.

“We have to say by Sept. 5, Ehler said.

The board also welcomed Ryan Plummer back to the Sidney school system. He resigned from his previous duties for a position in the Leyton School District. When Sidney High School Principal Chris Arendt resigned to be the next superintendent of the Potter-Dix Schools, Plummer returned to Sidney as the new Sidney High School principal.

“I'm excited, grateful, for the opportunity,” Plummer said.