Shannon Ward, Sam Dulaney & Nick Ponche

The economy has effected the school whether students have realized it or not. There have been many changes in the school budget and the lunch prices.

“The necessities are still being provided by the district,” Dr. Jones said. “They don’t have the budget to replace items within the school.”

The school board is thinking of different ways they can save money such as the new calender proposal. This will save the schools nearly a million dollars because the buses will all be running at the same time. The district is trying to manage their money more efficiently by using old supplies, such as books, desks and computers as long as possible to prevent budget cuts and loss of teachers.

“It was difficult to lose good teachers like we did,” Dr. Jones said. “It means that more cuts could be coming so I’m concerned for the future.”

DISTRICT CALENDAR CHANGES. With the departure of one superintendent, Renee Schuster last year, the new administration has since inherited one of the more controversial issues the school district has been faced with in years. Changing the school calendar in hopes of saving nearly a million dollars in bus costs for students.

“I honestly think that we came up with a good compromise,” new superintendent Pam Sloan said. “ But I don’t like how it will disrupt the culture.”

As opposed to the year round schedule that FHSD elementary schools have been operating with for years, and the secondary schools using the standard calendar, the new proposal has a middle ground where less busing will be needed, thus cutting down on district spending.

LUNCH PRICES INCREASE. As sophomore Jake Tecklenberg punched his ID number into the lunch cash register for the first time this school year, the number he saw come up under “Amount Due” both shocked and upset him. Instead of seeing the expected $1.95 from the same time a year ago, he saw that the price of his meal had risen to $2.00. This raise in prices has changed the way Tecklenberg and many other regular lunch buyers view the lunch system at FHN.

“I am actually considering bringing lunch on some days so my parents don’t have to pay as much money,” Tecklenberg said.

According to School Board President Mike Sommer, however, such measures will not have to be taken. The price raise ($.05 for regular meals, $.10-.15 for deli and other specialties) will amount to paying an extra $8.70 throughout the course of the year for an everyday buyer. The increase in food prices was designed by the board to keep the cafeterias fully operating without the use of tax dollars.

“No one is particularly happy about the price raise,” FHSD food service manager Karin Mann said. “We’re not happy to enforce it, but no one wants to get rid of lunch options either.”

Without the price increase, the FHSD schools would have been forced to remove the most expensive and the most unhealthy lunch items in order to keep the cafeterias self- sufficient. Meals would become more basic, and popular options such as the salad and deli bars would be taken away. For this reason, some students have accepted the price raise.

“If raising prices is 100% necessary then I say go for it, but I’m still not too happy about it,” senior Ben Phelps said.