The Whitehall-Coplay School Board listened to a presentation about the Communities That Care organization at its committee meeting April 27.

Denise Continenza of Penn State Extension attended the meeting to give the presentation.

Continenza said the program started in 2012 and has "organizations pulling together" to build a better community.

The program gathers information from schools on what kids are doing.

"We can feel confident that the students are answering honestly," Continenza said of the questions posed to children in surveys.

According to the data collected, Continenza presented the board with a document that highlighted the five areas the program is working to take action with. The areas include educating youth about risk associated with drug and alcohol use, increasing parents' and adults' knowledge about their role in keeping youth safe from dangers of drugs and alcohol, increasing opportunities for all youth to be positively involved and recognized in the community, decreasing hunger among students in the district and increasing awareness of career paths and employment options for students upon graduation from high school.

One of the initiatives the district is starting next year is serving breakfast for all students in the district. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Lorie Hackett brought examples of the breakfast that would be served in the schools. The breakfast includes one bowl pack of cereal, one three-pack of whole grain graham crackers, an apple juice, milk and fresh fruit.

Continenza spoke about other opportunities to help subdue the hunger issue within the district, such as "educating parents to stretch food dollars," and other possible ideas such as "backpack buddies," where students would take food home for the weekend.

In other news, Business Manager Michael Malay and Superintendent John Corby presented some changes to the proposed budget. The changes include using $125,000 from the district's unassigned fund balance. These changes have taken the district out of the deficit it had been in but still may change.

According to Malay and Corby, the district does not know the outcome of the monies it will receive from the state's budget, which will have an impact on the district's budget.