10-20-10 —     Members of the Monticello Independent Board of Education heard  

various concerns from Site Based Decision Making Council  

representatives about the quality and portion sizes of the food that  is being served in the school cafeteria.

    Representatives from the elementary and middle/high school Site  Based Decision Making (SBDM) Councils presented their concerns to  

board members and to Rita Turberville, Food Service Director, during  the board's monthly meeting Monday evening.

    Primary concerns presented by SBDM members included the quality of  

the food items and produce that are served to children, as well as  the serving sizes. They also requested copies of the food service  

department's expenses and reimbursement reports for the month of  September.

    Following a discussion of the matter, Turberville noted that she and  

her staff would look into and address the issues of bigger serving  

sizes, better quality food, and better variety.

    Superintendent Donnie Robison suggested that the SBDM members give  

Turberville and her staff a month to make changes based on the  

recommendations that had been presented during the meeting and to  

provide copies of the reports the group had requested. He added that  

at the end of the month the SBDM representatives could return to the  

board if they did not see any improvements in the cafeteria, or they  

could let them know if they were satisfied with the changes that had  

been made in the food quality and serving sizes.

    In other action, the board heard a presentation on the Monticello  

Independent Interim Performance Report and the No Child Left Behind  

Act. Johnny Chaplin, Federal Programs Coordinator, presented figures  

from both reports. In regard to the Monticello Independent Interim  

Performance Report: the elementary school increased in all areas  

except Science and Social Studies; the middle school increased in all  

areas except Science; and the high school increased in all areas.

    In the No Child Left Behind report, the elementary school met 10 out  

of 10 targets, the middle school met 9 out of 10 targets for 90  

percent, and the high school met 7 out of 10 targets for 70 percent.  

The high school did not meet its AYP for the second year in a row.

    One of the contributing factors to the low numbers at the high  

school level is the school's dropout rate. In an effort to address  

this problem, the board approved the creation of the Monticello  

Independent Secondary Alternative Graduation Academy (MISAGA), which  

is a dropout prevention program. The MISAGA program is targeted  

toward students who are at risk and who meet certain criteria. Greg  

Chaney will be the teacher/supervisor for the program, which will be  

implemented this week.

    In other news, the board:

    • approved the PSD F-10-6 salary schedule for the 2010-2011 school  

year.

    • approved the final working budget for the 2010-2011 school year.

    • approved three individuals as emergency substitute teachers for  

this school year.

    • heard a personnel report.

    • approved creating two archery co-coaching positions and set the  

stipend for the positions.