The Van-Far R-I School District board at its May 15 meeting heard about a grant that can help high school students after they leave high school.

Amy Newland, junior high and high school principal, discussed a rootEd grant, which Superintendent Natalie Gibson explained later in an email would be a partnership between the district and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to provide students, particularly those in rural communities, with an adviser exclusively focused on helping them achieve success following graduation. 

“This person will ensure that every student has a strong plan following their high school graduation,” Gibson said. “The staff member will work alongside school counselors, help students explore different career paths, identify and apply to best-fit post-high school options, and create a financial plan to ensure these options are within reach. We are excited about this opportunity and are hopeful the final state budget includes funding to support the grant so we can begin in the 2025-2026 school year.”

In other developments from the meeting, Van-Far Elementary Principal Brian Hummel said the last day of school was May 22 and the last day of awards programs, with the kindergarten through second grade and the third through sixth grades having awards programs. Summer school began May 27 and runs 8 a.m -3:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. 

Hummel said the elementary school received a grant from General Mills Foundation, which the school has gotten several years in a row, and this year the school will use the grant to sponsor a “One School, One Book” initiative when everybody in the school will read the same book at home and there are activities associated with the book. The school is also working on writing some grants to support a school garden and an outdoor learning environment. 

Newland said this year’s prom was well-attended and “went really smooth” and drew about 100 students. Newland discussed various other students activities, accolades and programs.    

Among other information the board heard during the staff reports, given by department directors, was that a new school bus would arrive soon and be used for summer school for one of the routes. Summer school will have five bus routes.

Gibson discussed the preliminary budget numbers with the board and also told trustees about a Community Eligibility Provision in which the district would pay about $360 a month and all the elementary students could eat breakfast and lunch for free, based on the required free and reduced lunch percentage of students; the elementary school meets that percentage. This is a USDA program.

The district could pursue that over a 10 month-period and it would cost $3,600, and the district would be eligible for that for the next four years. Gibson said she is working on the paperwork for the program. According to the USDA website, CEP “is a non-pricing meal service option for schools and school districts in low-income areas. CEP allows the nation’s highest poverty schools and districts to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting household applications.”

Gibson said in an email that 10 months was the time frame because school is in session for 10 months.

“We are hopeful our families will appreciate this gift from the district and that student attendance and performance will improve from this act of service,” she said.