ISLE OF WIGHT
Several parents of Windsor Elementary School students will get to choose which middle school their children will attend this fall. That’s because the school board voted on Thursday not to rezone, 4-0; Robert Eley of the Carrsville district was absent.

“We’re doing this already,” said spokeswoman Lynn Briggs. “In the past, we always approved the request. The big difference is we are now going to provide transportation to those going to Georgie D. Tyler Middle School, which was previously considered an out-of-zone request and parents had to provide transportation.”

She added that the superintendent elected to accommodate to students going to either end, Windsor or Smithfield, and that there’d be a little overlap of buses in that zone.

Board member Victoria Hulick of the Newport District asked how buses would be rearranged. To which Supt. Dr. James Thornton — who recommended zoning stay untouched for now — said there would have to be some rerouting. That, he added, could make the rides longer, but not significantly so.

He also said that the issue of rezoning will be to be revisited, but with no set date.

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• In other business, the school board learned that school meal prices will increase 10 cents per order from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In a letter to the board, child nutrition supervisor David Price wrote, “A provision included in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 requires districts to review and adjust meal prices annually at the prevailing inflation rate (currently 4.97 percent). The Act allows for two ways to fund adjustment: 1) increase paid meal prices; 2) offset the increase using non-federal fund; or 3) a combination of both.”

Price went to to write that most school divisions pick the first choice for budgetary reasons. This would make the price of a school meal at $2.55 for elementary school students, and $2.65 for secondary students. The board will formally vote on this matter in August.

• Use Title I and Title III grants were monitored by the Virginia Department of Education in the past school year.

The activities and programs funded by the money were found in compliance. The board also approved 4-0 the Title III application (English as a Second Language).