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HANOVERTON -- The United Local Board of Education met Wednesday to tackle several regular agenda items and hear from students who are giving back to the district and their peers.
During a middle school update, eighth-grade students Scarlett Courtney, Callie Koons, and Levi Walker put on a presentation about the school's food pantry.
"The food pantry gives away food and other items to fellow students and is run entirely by eighth-grade students," United superintendent Lance Hosteleter said. "The skills and different tasks include ordering food items, writing letters for potential donations, and visiting local food banks to refine current practices. It's part of United's commitment to authentic learning opportunities for students where students take on real-world challenges and use their skills to solve challenges in the community."
Food pantry is also open to any student identified in need by a staff member at any time, and students put together and send food bags home with approximately 25 in grades kindergarten through 12th grade. Bags are distributed every weekend, including extended weekends, Thanksgiving, winter and summer breaks. Duties are divided by establishing committees that focus on distribution, fundraising, inventory, marketing and resources. The food pantry is entirely student driven. Nearly every decision is made by the students including but not limited to writing formal thank you cards to donors, ordering food from Sam's Club, organization and inventory of pantry items, writing and mailing letters requesting donations and making contact with outside agencies and day-to-day tasks.
The United Local Food Pantry is facilitated by teachers Ryan Burd and Andrea Groubert.
In regular agenda items, the board approved the December financial statements, expenditures, investments and appropriations notifications, increases/decreases as presented, as well as several donations totaling $5,456 dollars as well as 50 bales of straw from Russell Kiko Farms.
In other money matters, the board reported 182,465 reward points from the school's cardmember service (credit card) account, and the redemption of 180,000 points for a statement credit of $1,800.The points remaining after this redemption is 2,465. This money will be used for PBIS.
Also approved by the board were the student activity budgets for the 2023-24 school year, the 2024-25 tax budget, last month's transportation report and the cafeteria report.
In personnel items, the board approved a one year contract for Walter Barker (bus driver), classified substitutes Lisa Panezott (custodian) and Jasmine Bennett (bus driver), supplemental coaching contracts for Jennifer Brereton (girls wrestling) and Andrew Morrow (varsity boys track) and winters athletic worker Matthew Brooks, Jordan Phillips, Mike Phillips and Adam Stryffeler. The board also agreed to pay the spring musical choreographer a stipend of $500 2023-24 and approved band trip volunteers Cami Cope and Crystal Lucas.
An agreement with Kent State University for College Credit Plus courses from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025 was approved as was an agreement with the Educational Service Center of Eastern Ohio for the 2023-24 school year.
Two fundraisers received board approval -- the HS Academic Challenge's 'That's a Wrap' pepperoni roll sale and a father-daughter dance set for Feb. 10 to benefit varsity cheerleading.
selverd@mojonews.com