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District 70 Notes
Patriotic concert held July 3 at Highland Middle School in Libertyville. The orchestra, band and choir students are from summer school classes held at the school through July 12.
Updated: August 13, 2012 6:21AM
District 70
Cashless card
system
Libertyville Elementary District 70 parents will be able to prepay for their child’s hot lunches in the fall as the schools progress to a swipe card system.
The school district is buying every school a machine that will read special swipe cards and will setup online accounts for families so that they can load money onto the cards before school starts on Aug. 22. The details are being worked out over the summer, said Dr. Kurt Valentin, the district’s assistant superintendent of finance and operations, “but it is our plan to have this up and working the first day of school.”
Board of Education members are pleased with new program, saying it will meet a need in the community. “I’m very pleased with this,” board member Anne Brandt said before approving the new system. “This is something parents really want.”
The system is expected to speed up the lunch process at Highland Middle School, where lines are slow as a majority of students buy a la carte items and pay in cash. Cash will no longer be accepted at the middle school. Leftover lunch tickets traditionally used at the elementary schools will be honored until they run out and are replaced with swipe card.
While the district has been considering a cashless lunch system, Valentin said members of the Family Association of District 70 have inquired over the last few years about putting such programs in place. The timing seemed right, he said, now that the food service provider Chartwells School Dining Service has been in place for two years.
Parents are expected to receive information about the new system, My Nutri Kids, in the back to school mailings. With the new system, parents also will be able to monitor what food their child orders at school, as well as keep track of the monetary account. District 70 will send notifications out when funds in the account dip below a certain amount, Valentin said. Parents can use credit cards, debit cards and even paypal.
Eventually, middle school students will be able to use their school identification cards to swipe lunches and also be given pin numbers in case they forget their IDs. Temporary cards are expected to be used at Highland until photo ID cards are made with student photos.
Elementary students will also have swipe cards that will be handled only by teachers and lunchroom employees. The homeroom teacher will send down the appropriate cards each day for the hot lunches ordered by students. Lunchroom employees will then swipe the cards after lunches are served.
The change isn’t so much a money saver as it will be a time saver as everyone will move more efficiently through the lunch lines, Valentin said. The move also will help Highland students prepare for lunch in high school as Libertyville High School also uses a swipe card system.
Family Association Boards chosen
The new Family Association boards have been chosen for 2012-2013 school year.
The Adler Park School board President Cassie Clark - President, 1st VP Sue Wilms, 2nd VP Tammy Hansen, Treasurer - Elise Schroeder, Secretary - Karla Berk.
The Butterfield Family Association board will be President Nancy Bleck, First Vice President Deb Miley, Second Vice President Linda Oliverii, Treasurer Sue Ellen Yurek, Assistant Treasurer Charlotte Lawless and Secretary Doreen Flamank.
The Copeland Manor Family Association board will be President Angela Eads, First Vice President Tania Zombollo, Second Vice President Laurie Bond, Treasurer Jolie Bath and Secretary Andrea Jeglum.
At Highland Middle School, the Highland Family Association board for next year will be President Cheryl Otto, First Vice President Terri Golwas, Second Vice President Jean Giardina, Treasurer Julie Damenti and Secretary Colleen Pachowski.
The Rockland Family Association Executive Board will be President Patti Fuller, First Vice President Brett McEwan, Second Vice President Brooke Hamilton, Treasurer Michele Phillips and Secretary Lori Rosten.
