Butter braids survive ? for the present time ? at W-MU

BY KARYN SPORY

Mt. Pleasant News

WINFIELD ? Butter braids will stay a staple at Winfield-Mt. Union Community School District fund-raisers, at least for now.

During the W-MU School Board meeting on Wednesday, board members decided to table an update to the district?s student health and well-being code that would ban sugary and unhealthy treats from being sold as part of school sanctioned fund-raisers.

?Part of this is federal pressure,? said elementary principal Gabe Wylder.

W-MU business manager Carmen Benson said the update came as an idea to better align the district?s wellness goals with that of Michelle Obama?s Let?s Move campaign. The campaign mandated the first major overhaul of school prepared meals in over 15 years, according to the Let?s Move website. Updated lunch menus feature more whole grains, fruits and vegetables, as well as adjusted portions for the different age ranges within a school.

?Who makes the call on what?s nutritious and what?s not,? asked board member Jay Nelson. ?I see this as an ongoing debate.?

The board debated if federal nutrition standards could be imposed outside of school hours. With that, the board decided to table the issue until more clarification as to what constituted as ?unhealthy.? Nelson added he didn?t want to create a policy that ?we just can?t stand.?

?Butter braids are saved for the moment,? remarked board president Klay Edwards.

Portions of the Student Health and Well-Being code updates that passed included implement elementary health education curriculum, discontinue using food and food coupons as rewards and incentives, require kids to be physically active during a majority of time in a physical education class, ensure physical activity used for or withheld as punishment.

The board also approved fees and deposits for the 2015-16 school year. The fees are the same as the previous year, but the board did discuss implementing a $50 technology fee for use of the school?s laptops and tablets.

The fee would be to help deter damages to the laptops, which students in the upper grades may take home with them.

Benson said if the fee was approved, students who could not pay the fee would not be allowed to take the laptops home with them.

The board decided to scrap the fee for the time being as they feared it would be the students who couldn?t afford to pay the fee that really needed to have access to the computer in their homes.

During the meeting, the board decided to do away with the $6 fee for choir robes and band uniforms. The fee helped with the dry cleaning expense.

Benson said it has been hit or miss with collecting the fee.

?It?s a struggle to keep kids in choir and band and I?d hate to slap a fee on them,? said Nelson.

In getting ready for the upcoming year, the board approved the academic calendar for 2015-16. School will begin on Aug. 24, 2015 and end May 27, 2016. Other important dates include Thanksgiving break from Nov. 26-27 and Winter break from Dec. 19 to Jan. 1.

Benson said due to state legislation, school districts could not begin any sooner than the week of Aug. 24.

In other business, the board:

? Approved the senior class list

? Approved a welding program for next year

? Approved a joint agreement with Christamore House

? Approved an agreement for vocational career programs with Mt. Pleasant

? Approved a 2 percent base salary increase and adjusted benefit packages to remove the cash option for 2015-16 administrative salaries

? Approved the VIPS locker bid for $17,454.16

? Approved the VIPS bid for a family and consumer science kitchen update for $12,087

? Approved the Burlington Glass bid of $14,090 for interior doors

? Approved the hiring of Jessica Tamerius, second grade; William Hensen, science; Ryan Nelson, junior high baseball; Barb Phelps, lead teacher; Patricia Jones; Craig Huebner, technology coach; Michele Robertson

? Approved the resignation of Blayne Willadsen, elementary teacher, assistant golf coach, junior high boys assistant basketball coach; Courtney Redlinger

The next meeting for the W-MU School Board will be Wednesday, June 10, in the school?s media center.