LIVERMORE FALLS – SAD 36 directors have approved a policy outlining the guidelines for students who need to charge a lunch because they have no money with them.
The policy unanimously adopted during Thursday’s board meeting allows elementary and middle school students to charge up to three lunches, with repayment expected. If repayment hasn’t been made, the child would receive an alternate meal the next time and thereafter, with payment also expected.
Though there would be no meal charging at the high school, Superintendent Terry Despres said, principals could determine if there is a hardship for a student. If there is, the student could receive lunch for 30 days paid for through the federal lunch program. Principals would also work with the student’s family to fill out free or reduced lunch forms, he said.
The new policy also doesn’t allow school personnel or visitors to charge lunch.
In other business, administrators at all levels said school opening went well.
The enrollment as of Thursday was 1,043 students, Despres said, which is very good compared to neighboring districts on all sides that have seen a decline in enrollment figures the last several years.
Despres said some modifications have been made to the single-bus run to prevent some elementary school students from riding the bus for more than an hour.
Buses picking up students in Livermore will drop off elementary students at the Livermore school prior to going to Livermore Falls to drop off middle and high school students.
Previously, elementary students in Livermore were getting on buses that then traveled to Livermore Falls to drop off the upper grades and then back to the Livermore school.
Students in grades kindergarten through 12 ride on the same buses.
School officials will also begin riding the buses, Despres said, to figure out where changes can be made to limit variations in pickup times. Some bus runs are varying 20 minutes from one day to the next.
Despres also assured Director Heidi Rodzen that students in the four-year-old kindergarten program will have regular lunches served Monday and not have to bring a bag lunch or eat peanut butter and jelly, if they didn’t want to.
Despres learned Thursday during the board meeting that a conflict in scheduling of serving lunches temporarily prevented students from receiving regular school lunches.
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