The Pike County Board of Education approved Monday the request of the Child Nutrition Program (CNP) to provide lunch as part of the Summer Feeding Program at Pike County Elementary School, but with some reservations as to how the program will be funded.

Dr. Mark Bazzell, superintendent of Pike County Schools, said the program has been funded in the past by Title I and most recently through a partnership between the City of Brundidge and East Central Mental Health.

“In a conversation with Brundidge Mayor Jimmy Ramage, ECMH informed the city in November that that they would no longer participate in the after-school program or the summer feeding program,” Bazzell said.

With no funding source for the summer feeding program, Bazzell said, at some point, the board will have to put pencil to paper to see if the board might partner with the city of Brundidge to offer the Summer Feeding Program.

“I’d like to see the program continue so we need to see if we can make it happen,” Bazzell said. “But that will depend on the cost.”

The Summer Feeding Program is for ages up to 18 and feeds both breakfast and lunch to the participants.

PCES Principal Anita Grant said it’s nothing unusual for the program to feed 100 children twice a day during June and July.

“About 70 students participate in the summer program but there are others who come to eat who do not participate in the summer program,” she said.

The board reviewed the final plans for the athletic facility at Pike County High School. Bazzell said, with minor tweaking, the project is ready to put on the streets for bids.

The board also accepted the resignations of three teachers and a reading coach at its Monday meeting. The board accepted the resignation of Rodney Jordan, teacher and coach at Goshen High School, effective March 29. The resignations of Darla Bostick, Goshen High School, and Kyle Davis, physical education teacher and coach at Pike County High School were accepted effective at the end of the school year. The resignation of Ann Dunn, reading coach at Bank School will be effective July 1. The board approved the request for Jessica Richards as an assistant softball coach volunteer at PCHS, while Coach Hopkins is on maternity leave. Catastrophic leave was approved for Angela Smith and Lisa Hayes. The board also approved the recommendation to terminate a non-tenured employee.

The board approved the travel plans for the Pike County High School Gospel Choir to travel to Huntsville May 3-5, with no cost to the school district and, for Mona Pop, English language coach, to Madrid Spain, July 1-31. Pop received a grant in the amount of $5,000 to participate in a month-long intensive Spanish language program. She requested $400 from the board for travel expenses.

In other business, the board approved the resolution of Teacher Appreciation Week, May 6-10; awarded the bid for the new serving line (CNP) at Goshen Elementary School to Hawk, Inc. in the amount of $21,173.85; approved the extension of the lawn maintenance contract for the 2013-2014 school year with Pullom Lawn Service; approved the extension of the garbage collection contract for the 2013-2014 school year with Advanced Disposal; approved the request from Goshen High School to finance a lawn mower in the amount of $9,240; approved the request for CNP to provide lunch as part of the Summer Feeding Program at Pike County Elementary School June 3-28 and July 8-10; and approved the adoption of reading/language arts and literature textbooks for grades kindergarten through 12th grade for the 2013-2014 school year.