
DATE: Thursday, October 23, 1997            TAG: 9710230538

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: KITTY HAWK                        LENGTH:   73 lines

NO MORE ``FREE'' SCHOOL MEALS FOR ADULTS DARE BOARD DECIDES TO END PRACTICE OF ALLOWING PEOPLE TO RUN UP TABS.

The Dare County Board of Education turned an old saying into policy Tuesday night.

There's no such thing as a free lunch, at least for teachers and other adults who eat in Dare County lunchrooms.

A new directive in effect as of today will end a longstanding practice that allows teachers and staff members to ``charge'' lunches. Also, adult visitors who eat at schools will pay $2.50 a meal.

Last year, the district lost an estimated $12,000 because of adults and students who charged meals and did not pay for them, Superintendent Leon Holleman said.

The system's child nutrition program in recent years has simmered in a stew of red ink. The program last year needed a $150,000 subsidy in local money to break even, officials said.

In recent months, the food service operation has come under scrutiny by the North Carolina Local Government Commission because of operating deficits. In recent years, the school district has provided between $150,000 and $220,000 to make up those shortfalls.

At Tuesday's meeting, board members said that no child should have to go hungry because of forgotten money or lunchbox. But for adults, that's another story.

``I don't believe adults should be allowed to charge,'' Board Member Susie Walters said. ``I think that reflects on our cash flow. My personal feeling is that we should never turn a child away, but we need some kind of mechanism to make parents aware of charges.''

Holleman will meet with school principals and child nutrition personnel to work on a billing procedure for students who charge meals.

In finance-related issues, the district's auditing firm, Holden, Moss, Knott, Clark and Taylor, outlined preliminary areas of concern. The Henderson-based firm is expected to issue the final audit for the financially troubled school system by year's end.

Allen Burrus, chairman of the board's subcommittee, said problems exist in monitoring purchase orders, and in the district's fund balance and cash flow. The impact of those problems will not be known until the audit is completed in December.

Also, the board is close to finding a replacement for former Finance Officer Becky Wescott. Wescott was placed on paid administrative leave in June but taken off the payroll in August.

School officials declined to reveal the reason for the action, but said no wrongdoing took place.

Interviews are under way for her successor.

The board also took a small step toward developing a new facilities plan for county schools.

Each of the seven school board members selected two citizens for four fact-finding panels in curriculum, finance, demographics and facility maintenance.

The 56 members will meet for the first time at the board's meeting in November.

Under the proposal, the four committees will make recommendations to a task force to be selected by the Board of Education. That smaller panel will then issue a facilities plan to the school board for final approval.

No timetable has been set for the groups to complete their work.

The new committee structure was hammered out by Board Vice Chair Virginia Tillett and Board Member Loretta Michael at a retreat last summer.

The action came following the overwhelming defeat of a $59.5 million bond package by Dare County voters. ILLUSTRATION: THE RECORD

Last year, the district lost an estimated $12,000 because of adults

and students who charged meals and did not pay for them,

Superintendent Leon Holleman said.

The system's child nutrition program in recent years has simmered in

a stew of red ink. The program last year needed a $150,000 subsidy

in local money to break even, officials said.