CCISD board to look at school lunch prices, superintendent evaluation and salary

By BRITTANY FHOLER
Cove Leader-Press

The Copperas Cove Independent School District Board of Trustees will hold their regular meeting Tuesday evening, where they will take action on several purchases exceeding $25,000 and will also take action on an increase to school lunch costs and an increase to the Superintendent’s salary. 
CCISD’s Director of Child Nutrition Services and Warehouse Melissa Bryan was required to complete calculations per USDA guidance to determine the cost of lunch meals. Per her calculations, her recommendation is to increase the cost of elementary and junior high student lunch meals by 10 cents and the cost of high school lunch meals by 20 cents. These proposed increases would raise lunch meal prices at the elementary level to $2.60, the junior high level to $2.80 and the high school level to $3. Breakfast will continue to be served free to all students, regardless of eligibility.
In her memo to Deputy Superintendent Rick Kirkpatrick, Bryan states that “due to increase in labor, food costs and supply chain issues, we will need to raise meal prices to reflect those changes.”
The monthly total of paid lunches was 26,712 at all campuses, for the 2021-2022 school year. Of that number, 6,728 was at the high school level; 6,894 was at the junior high level; and 13,090 was at the elementary level. 
This price increase adds $3,344 to the monthly revenue, increasing from $70,177.20 to $73,521.20, according to the calculation in Bryan’s memo. 
The board will also consider and take action on a performance evaluation and act on the contract for Superintendent Joe Burns. Currenltly, he is employed under a 226-day contract for a length of five years. His salary for the 2021-2022 school year was $188,840 after he received a pay raise last year in the amount of $5,500, bumping his salary up from $183,340 he received for the 2020-2021 school year. 
The current proposed increase would raise his salary to $194,505, starting in the 2022-2023 school year. 
Purchases exceeding $25,000 include the purchase of AYPYN Check and Connect Stations for Copperas Cove High School ($28,855.96); the purchase of welding equipment and supplies for Welding at CCHS ($135,386.46); Construction Materials Testing ($38,369.50); a contract for Special Education Services with Candor Consulting and Diagnosticians, LLC for diagnosticians, speech language pathologist and other assessment staff as needed ($285,000); a contract with ProCare Therapy for services of evaluation staff to include speech language pathologist, diagnosticians, and any other assessment staff as needed district-wide ($139,000); the purchase of PowerSchool Schoology Blended Learning Services ($27,100); the purchase of 30 Dell Desktop computer and headsets for the Computer Science Classroom at CCHS ($55,175.40); the purchase of 19 short throw projectors, wall mounts and a service agreement for the new classrooms at Williams/Ledger Elementary, Martin Walker Elementary, and Mae Stevens Early Learning Academy ($29,355 and $7,296). 
The board of trustees will also take action on a collaboration agreement between Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) and Copperas Cove ISD for the creation of a program that would allow IWU to be able to offer an accelerated degree plan for employees that are interested in becoming a teacher. 
The board will also take action on the renewal of annual Automotive Technology, Dual Credit, and College Prep Agreements and MOUs with Central Texas College. 
The board of trustees will take action on the CCISD Credit By Exam (CBE) and Exam for Acceleration (EA) list of tests for both acceleration and/or Credit Recovery purposes. 
The board will take action on a cooperative program agreement with the University of Texas at Austin for the OnRamps Distance College Courses. 
The board of trustees will take action on approving the scope of work and cost proposal with Belfor Property Restoration for the mold remediation at Hettie Halstead Elementary School. 
The board will also take action on a proposed Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) amendment to the District’s Construction Manager at Risk Contract with BWC Education Group for the CTE addition at Copperas Cove High School. 
The board of trustees meets in the Board Room at CCISD administration building at 408 S. Main Street. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.