CHECKING IT OUT — Makenna Dziatkowicz, a nurse at Weirton Elementary School, demonstrates the school’s new vision screening machine for the members of the Hancock County Board of Education at Monday’s meeting. Erica Sauer, the district’s special education director, volunteered to have her eyes checked. -- Julie Riedel

NEW CUMBERLAND — The Hancock County Board of Education received an update on the district’s meal program during Monday’s meeting.

Steve Govey, director of child nutrition, submitted a report to the board and went through the highlights during. He said he was pleased with participation in the breakfast and lunch programs, adding participation in the lunch program continues to grow, as seen in a 1 percent increase in breakfast numbers in November.

Govey also told the board he is trying to move toward more homestyle cooking and using what he calls real foods instead of processed foods. He said the district’s yearly Thanksgiving dinner was on Nov. 15 and they used a turkey breast, which he reported was a hit with students.

Superintendent Dawn Petrovich, asked about the school’s serving cart program, which is a cart every school has that collects nonperishable items. The district applied for a grant last year to obtain the carts. During lunch, students have the opportunity to use the cart to obtain additional food or to place items they do not plan to consume. After lunch the nonperishables are packaged and sent home with students in the backpack program. Govey said students are using the cart.

Allison and New Manchester elementaries each received a $500 grant for a school garden. The garden programs will be starting in the spring, and students will be participating in caring for the garden. The board talked about bringing in the Master Gardner’s Club to help educate the students on plants and gardening.

“A gentleman who was up here from the West Virginia Department of Education, said one of the advantages of having gardens in the school is, because the kids grow the vegetables, participation in the lunch program goes up, and that’s what I’m sure is going to happen ,” said board member Tim Reinard.

In other action, the board:

¯ Received thanks from Weirton Elementary nurse Makenna Dziatkowicz for buying a new vision screening machine, she said it is a time saver and more accurate than the charts she was using to screen students eyes. Dziatkowicz showed the board how the equipment works. The new piece of technology will be shared between all three Hancock County elementary schools.

¯ Approved unpaid leave of absences for Sarah Alkire, Ila Hanlon, Kenneth Gunn, Noreen Saxon and Alissa Altomare.

¯ Approved the assignments of Breydi Shenton, Sara Lilly, Margaret Bolinger, Brianna Lynch, RaNysha Saunders, Ali Holmquist and Andrea Vrtar as countywide substitute teachers, pending favorable fingerprints.

¯ Approved Alex Shuman as unpaid wrestling assistant at Oak Glen High School.

¯ Approved the transfer of Roger Stewart Jr. from transportation department, bus operator 161, 200 days 5.75 hours a day to bus operator 173, 200 days 5.75 hours, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.

¯ Approved the transfer of Jeremy Shumate from transportation department substitute bus operator to bus operator 75 200 days 5.75 hours per day, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.

¯ Approved the resignation of Randall Waite, substitute custodian.

¯ A district bus driver attended the meeting to express safety concerns about the back parking lot of the bus garage, and to tell them a bus driver was recently injured because of the lot and is off on workers’ compensation because of the injury. He has been asking the board to address the parking lot for the last three years. He knew the district had plans to fix the lot in the past, and wanted to know if money was still allocated for the repairs. The board plans to have it looked into and board member Danny Kaser asked to have the answer to if the funds are still allocated for next meeting.

¯ Approved the remaining bills for the month.

¯ Hancock County Program Coordinator Extension Agent Youth Development, Carole Scheerbaum attended the meeting to give the board an overview of the Energy Express program in Hancock County and to ask the board if they want to continue the partnership, which the board wants to continue.

¯ Approved amendments for the county’s EFE competitive food sales/ vending machines and EFA food purchasing/ selection policies.

¯ Approved the expulsion of a student for one school year with a start date of Oct. 25.

The next meeting will be at 5 p.m. on Jan. 13.