Shoals Schools Balance Celebration and Strategic Planning

At their February meeting, the Shoals Community School Corporation Board agenda was filled with student achievements, program updates, and important financial discussions. Shoals Elementary School was the first stop for ROI’s Momentum Mobile Unit, which provides hands- on microelectronics programming to students, educators, and communities. Preparations are being made for Kindergarten Roundup, which is scheduled for March 6. Families can register online or they may call the office. Complimentary physical exams will also be available for students. Over 3,000 pounds of pet food and supplies were brought in by families for Hoosiers for the Humane Society, which was a school corporation-wide initiative. For the new synchronous learning days during the winter storm, attendance was very strong and instruction was effective. 

Principal Carol Eubank said that the week of synchronous learning was also a success at the middle school, with 96% attendance. The school has 17 Presidential fitness award recipients this year. On February 20, 8 th graders will participate in the Reality store before touring the Pathway programs in the high school. 

The High School’s Robotics team was congratulated for advancing to the state championship and for winning the Robot Design Award. They were among the four teams who advanced out of the 29 teams competing at the qualifying event hosted by Shoals last weekend. National FFA Week will be celebrated at the end of the month, culminating in Drive Your Tractor to School Day. The Annual Farmers’ Appreciation Breakfast will be held on February 19 at 9 am, and all farmers are invited. SAT testing day is March 4, and all juniors will participate. 

Cafeteria Director Amy Money gave a presentation on the funding mechanism of the cafeteria CEP program. She said that the decision will need to be made as to whether the current program should continue, or if the board will choose to revert to paid meals. If it is continued, solutions will need to be identified for funding. While the program is funded 80%, the Corporation is still responsible for 20% of costs for the free meals being distributed. 

Money said that the obvious benefits of CEP include reliable nutrition for families and students and reduced time managing student accounts. If the program is discontinued, families that meet State requirements will still receive free or reduced meals. Paid meals would be a self- sustaining option so that the cafeteria would not require more financial bailouts from the Corporation. The estimated cost of maintaining the CEP program is approximately $30 per child. The State’s guidelines clearly prohibit charging a fee, but donations and fundraising are permitted. One suggested option was funding through an annual corporate sponsorship. 
 

Superintendent Dr. Sue Lanham thanked staff and faculty for their hard work during the snow, with a special thank you to the bus drivers who accomplished a very difficult job.