Sheldon school attacks food service debt

Friday, January 10, 2014
Superintendent Tim Judd talks about making up snow days at the Sheldon Board of Education meeting on Wednesday. Secretary Audra Spencer sits on left. Photo by Gloria Tucker/Daily Mail

Nevada Daily Mail

In an attempt to collect unpaid bills for students school lunches, Sheldon superintendent Tim Judd will be sending out a second round of letters with harsher penalties to families with high bills.

"The first letters were seeking cooperation," Judd said at the Sheldon Board of Education meeting Wednesday night. "We've had zero response from it. I think we've tried to be nice about it, and I think the next step is to send something a little more harsh."

The board approved sending the second letter, which will have a food service cut-off date for the children.

"I absolutely hate to do this, because I feel like it's penalizing the child," Judd said. "But we have to do something or those debts will just continue to grow and grow."

Board member Jerod Lamb said he didn't like the idea either.

"I don't like to take away from the kids, but you've got to get paid," he said. "No one here wants to penalize the kids, but we've got to be good stewards. I'm fine with another letter."

In other business, Judd told the board about the issues with the school's furnaces.

"One furnace was out for three or four weeks, and one day they were all out," Judd said. "It was in the low 50s. The main reason is because of the cheaper filters we were using. They're all fixed now."

The cool temperatures turned out to be the least of the schools' problems. The snow earlier this week got into the attic of the elementary school. As the snow melted substantial water leaked into the elementary school.

"There were just piles of snow up there," Judd said. "I had about six trash cans of snow I shoveled out. The ridge cap seal is no longer there, so we're going to have to replace that."

Judd recommended the board amend the school calendar to make up the past two snow days as soon as possible on Feb. 14 and 17.

Carolyn Compton said in the principal's report, the plan for the next semester is to update and align all the school's curriculum to the Missouri Common Core standards.

Judd thanked the board for its service and handed out certificates from Missouri School Board Association. "I want to thank you for all the volunteer work," he said. "We appreciate your time and effort. I know your salary is not that high. I feel very fortunate."

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