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Homework, lunches topics of South Fayette School Board discussion

By Kate Drozynski For The Almanac Writer@thealmanac.Net 3 min read
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At the Oct. 18 meeting of South Fayette School Board, homework and the cost of lunches were hot topics of discussion.

The matter of homework was added to the agenda after comments were made in a Facebook group about the amount of work students, particularly at the high school, receive and the perceived lack of coordination between departments when scheduling tests.

Concern on social media also stemmed from homework assigned over the Columbus Day weekend, which should not have been the case with the exception of some Advanced Placement and honors courses.

Board members recognized that student schedules, extracurricular activities and the pressure to pack in as many advanced courses as possible could contribute to heavier homework loads.

Parents concerned with their students’ workload should contact administration, board members advised.

The price of school lunches has also been a contentious point among parents in South Fayette. The board welcomed Tricia Wood, director of food services, to better explain the pricing structure of student lunches and a la carte options, and the involvement of the state and federal regulations on costs.

Woods expressed frustration at restrictions placed on the meal pricing structure, which is available on the South Fayette website, but said that finding affordable, high-quality lunches is her passion. Woods invites concerned parents to contact her if they have trouble understanding the pricing structure.

In other business at the Oct. 18 meeting:

• The board discussed the possibility of hosting a public meeting to address concerns raised by South Fayette senior citizens regarding the district’s relatively high real estate tax rate. The meeting could include information about how South Fayette raises money, state and federal funding, where the money is going and the potential for helping seniors to save or earn money on their taxes. The board is working on a definitive date for the meeting and whether an additional meeting in the spring would be helpful.

• Construction at the high school is proceeding as expected, with all areas of the building on schedule, the board announced. The wrestling room is set to be finished by Nov. 1, in time for wrestling season.

Confusion over the absence of costs for luxury vinyl flooring in the specifications for the project sparked controversy over which entity is to pay for its inclusion: the district, which insists it was supposed to be in specifications in the first place, or PJ Dick and Eckles Architecture, which quoted a less-expensive type of flooring.

• Three South Fayette High School students were recognized for their attendance at the White House Frontier Conference at Carnegie Mellon University. Senior Joe Cavanaugh and freshmen Parv Shrivastava and Anish Thangavelu were nominated by the district and invited to attend the conference as student representatives of South Fayette.

“It was a great experience that we got to see what the future really holds for us,” said Shrivastava.

The students were invited to sit in the front row of the conference and got to shake hands with President Obama.

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