Family-style meals at Salem Elementary to receive another vote

By KARYN SPORY

Mt. Pleasant News

The Mt. Pleasant School Board will hold another meeting with parents at Salem Elementary to discuss and vote on implementing family style meals into the lunch system.

Superintendent Mike Wells said Monday night during a board workshop meeting that after a poorly attended parent meeting that voted down the program, he was contacted by a parent group stating they didn?t know there was going to be a vote regarding the meals and asked for another vote to be taken.

Wells said the parents he spoke to stated they ?supported the program and that?s why they didn?t show up.?

According to Wells, on the original letter sent out to parents, the letter never stated there was going to be a vote.

Board member Lonny Morrow said he also received several calls from parents indicating they didn?t know a vote was occurring, they thought it was only a discussion-based meeting.

Wells suggested having another meeting and vote, this way more parents could attend.

?Is it better that 12 people decided or 100?? Wells asked the board.

Wells added the program would have to get a 70 percent favorable vote or the lunch effort would not move forward.

The family style meals have been a hot topic with the Henry County Board of Health. The board of health initially voted against implementing the serving style. However, the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals had approved the food variance application despite a letter of disapproval from the Henry County Board of Health.

The application, which requested a variance on Iowa code dealing with regulations for food on display in school cafeterias, is an effort from Salem Elementary to implement a family style servicing system that will allow children to sit down at a table that already has the main entrée dish pre-plated on an individual tray. Once seated, children would then scoop food form uncovered dishes of fruits and vegetables. This new system would give children the opportunity to serve themselves helpings of fruits and vegetables instead of food service workers doing it for them.

Salem parents can vote on the implementation of the family style meals on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 6 p.m. at Salem Elementary.