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Just what does a food service consultant do?

By Dave Gordon

CAIRO — That’s what Cairo-Durham Board of Education members wanted to know, when a recommendation for a consultant came up at the regular board meeting Thursday.

Superintendent Sally Sharkey recommended HMB Consulting for the job, continuing the appointment from last year. The position pays $575 per day, or $4,600 for the year.

The consultant checks on price and profit, makes sure the equipment is maintained, and generally checks the operation once a month, Sharkey explained. Board member Greg Koerner-Fox suggested that the job be put out to bid, but Business Manager Lisa Jilek said the district has used this consultant for a number of years.

“The kids complain that the quality is poor,” Koerner-Fox said. “The feedback that I get is that the wraps were great. They want them, and they aren’t getting them.”

Wraps are not an everyday item, several board members said. Board member Thomas Plank said he has eaten in the school cafeteria many times, and “I’ve never thrown it away.”

Discussion also turned to vending machines in schools, which Koerner-Fox opposes. Even such items as fruit drinks, which are supposed to be a healthy alternative to sodas, contain sugar. He also questioned the sale of ice cream in vending machines, declaring that ice cream is unhealthy.

Sharkey agreed that vending machine food is not perfect, but it is getting better. And, she said, she appreciates any input on how to make it better.

The board approved a list of appointments that included the consultant.

In another matter, board member Fred Zimmerman questioned the payment to Grant Writer Margaret Meehan. Zimmerman wanted to know if she was paid only if a grant was approved. Meehan is paid by the hour, at rates of either $50 or $75 depending on the type of work, Sharkey said. “That’s actually cheaper than many others,” she added.

Given some of the major grants Meehan has landed for the school district, this is a more economical way of paying for her services than giving her a percentage of the grant. However, Zimmerman noted that grants typically have an amount for administration, which he though would pay the grant writer. Sharkey said the administration line is for the person who supervises and administers the grant, not the writer.

The town of Durham and the town of Catskill both requested the use of school buses for recreational activities. Board member Debra Armstrong asked whether the towns paid the school district for the buses and drivers. Jilek said the towns pay the mileage fee to the school district and pay the drivers directly.

The building program is moving ahead, Sharkey said. Windows have been removed where a new door for a chemistry lab will be installed, footings have been poured for the high school addition and the boilers have been removed from Cairo Elementary School, with new boilers expected Aug. 18.

Jilek noted that many of the items in the $8 million project — the second under the state’s EXCEL program — were alternates in the earlier $3.8 million project, so the school district and contractors are meeting to integrate the projects.

Armstrong also asked about contract negotiations with the teachers, who have been working without a contract for the past two years.

“We have just approved the administrators,” Sharkey said. “With the teachers, we are in a better place than we were.”

Sharkey is meeting with two teacher representatives to work on the salary schedule. The salaries at the bottom and the top of the schedule are “pretty good,” she said. The middle range “kind of tanks. I know the board has, in the past, questioned why teachers are leaving, and you have to look at the salary schedule. Over the lifetime of somebody’s career, there are some discrepancies between what they earn here and some neighboring districts.”

Sharkey promised to keep the board informed. Board members will have to make some decisions on where they want to be with the schedule, she said.

Koerner-Fox wanted to know when the losing bidder for the district’s transportation contract was notified. Jilek said she believed the notice was sent right after the last board meeting, but she would check.

At the previous meeting, the board approved a bid from Thomas Rogers Automobile Service. Koerner-Fox said he was concerned because Rogers was not the low bidder. The board voted for “the lowest responsible bidder,” and the low bidder was deemed not to meet the school district’s qualifications. Koerner-Fox said it was important to get this information to him in a timely manner because he had every reason to believe he received the contract.

During the public participation session, board member Thomas Plank, speaking as a member of the public, announced that the DARE program will be holding a golf scramble July 27 as a fundraiser. He told the board and public that those who don’t play golf are welcome to make a donation. DARE stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education, and teaches children techniques for resisting peer pressure to use drugs.

The board met in executive (closed) session to discuss a personnel issue contained in a letter given to board members during the meeting.

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