School meals still there for students

By SHEILA G. KELLEY

News editor

Peabody-Burns students won’t go hungry because of the federal shutdown, superintendent Ron Traxson said at the Jan. 9 school board meeting.

“We received a letter from the Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services that our school meals will have no interruptions well into March,” he said. “After that, it’s uncertain what will happen.”

When the high school was built over 20 years ago, it included seven new boilers to heat the building.

Two decades of use has taken its toll on the units. Traxson told council members that six of the original seven boilers need to be replaced.

Because of their age, parts are not readily available for repair, so it may be more financially feasible to replace them.

“Right now, we have one down and one that’s leaking,” Traxson said. He will be bringing options to the February meeting.

Board members approved the purchase of two new school buses. A 77-passenger bus costing $95,184 will be a dedicated activity bus and a 47-passenger bus for $84,599 which will be used as an extra route/activities bus.

Contracts were approved for the superintendent, middle and high school principals, and counselor.