Moniteau food services recognized for food distribution
CHERRY TWP — Moniteau School District distributed more than 44,000 meals over the summer, earning its food services a bronze-level award recognition from the Pittsburgh Area Food Bank.
Carrie Plecher, the district’s director of food services, presented the award to the school board at its Monday meeting and applauded the 16-person department and its acting director, Peg Burdick, for their work in fighting food insecurity.
“Our area needs it,” Plecher said. “We were worried about their well-being over the summer because there were so many layoffs and people out of work, and our district was hit hard.”
Plecher said Moniteau was the only school district in Butler County to receive a recognition from the food bank.
According to Plecher, members of the department worked throughout the summer to distribute breakfast and lunch meals to students seven days a week at Dassa McKinney Elementary School. Once word got out about the free program, about 400 to 450 children a week received food.
“I think it was the second week there was an outpouring of people coming in,” Plecher said. “The staff from Dassa, they were coming in to help pack because they ran out of food.”
Plecher also said the nutritional value of the meals was a focus for the meals, and students received fruits and produce in their packs.
“They got two fruits and vegetables and everything,” Plecher said. “We want them to be healthy, and they do better if they are.”
The school board also passed an addendum to its contract with its school bus contractor, Campbell Bus Company, by a vote of 6-3.
Board President Mike Panza said Campbell told the district it would not renew its contract with the district after this year, the last in a three-year contract. The district had budgeted $1,956,733 for transportation costs in 2019.
However, the district proposed an additional 2.5 percent increase in pay for the coming year for the company. Panza said administrators will meet with Campbell in July.
Additionally, he said the money Moniteau received through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund could be used to balance the pay increase.
“If we were to go out and try to find another transportation company right now, to find a place to operate buses, find drivers, the staff and everything for next year,” Panza said, “it’s my personal opinion we would put our district and students behind the eight ball.”
Board member Michael Baptiste said he voted no to the addendum because he is skeptical that the extra pay going to the company will be distributed to the bus drivers themselves.
