[August 12, 2011] Greenwood School Board Member Resigns Tweet GREENWOOD, Aug 12, 2011 (Times Record - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Longtime Greenwood School Board member Ruth McConnell surprised district staff Thursday when she tendered her resignation from the board. She also received a standing ovation from the audience and board members in recognition of her lifelong relationship with Greenwood Schools. Besides serving 13 years on the board, McConnell attended Greenwood and later taught for the district. There are two years left in McConnell's board term, and she asked the board to appoint someone to it who will serve with devotion. In reading her resignation, McConnell lauded the school board, teachers, staff and students for their service and accomplishments. "This school is family, and all of you are family," McConnell said. She said she's been pondering resigning for some time because of family situations. In other business, Superintendent Kay Johnson told the board because only one candidate had filed for the seat being vacated by another longtime board member, Clema Jean Nichols, and because the district is not seeking a change in its property tax millage rate, there is no need to open all the district's polling places for the Sept. 20 annual school election. She suggested, and the board unanimously approved holding absentee voting and opening but one polling place at the courthouse on election day. At Food Service Director Carolyn Milligan's recommendation, the board approved awarding the district's bread bid to Sara Lee, its milk bid to Hiland Dairy and to split its food bid among the two companies that submitted bids -- 40 percent to Tankersley Foods and 60 percent to Sysco. Milligan also asked the board to raise school lunch prices by a nickel to $1.80 for grades kindergarten through seven. She said it is necessary to remain in compliance with the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of July 1, 2010. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture March 2011 fact sheets, schools participating in the National School Lunch Program are required to compare the average price charged for lunches served to students who are not eligible for free or reduced price lunches to the difference between the higher federal reimbursement provided for free lunches and the lower federal reimbursement provided for paid lunches. If the average paid lunch price is less than the difference, the school must either gradually adjust average prices or provide nonfederal funding to cover the difference. The board approved the price change. To see more of the Times Record or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.swtimes.com. Copyright (c) 2011, Times Record, Fort Smith, Ark. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]