Parents of students in the district addressed the board at the Dec. 6 meeting to voice their concerns about the new school lunch program.

“At first the food was good and we had no complaints; of late we have some issues,” Robin Daw said, whose daughter is in the fifth grade at Harry S Truman Elementary School.

“My daughter has the 12:35 p.m. lunch, and that day she had gone to the nurse’s office.” Daw said she had been with her daughter in the nurse’s office and went to the cafeteria with her.

“By the time she got into line they were out of a lot of foods, including the fruit and the salad items. They had one bottle of water left, pasta that looked as if it were day old, a chicken salad sandwich, pretzels and French fries.

Daw noted the cafeteria staff up-charged her for the water and charged à la carte prices for the bag of pretzels and French fries she ordered for her daughter because they were not a standard lunch.

“I don’t see why they would charge more for a bottle of water when a child cannot have dairy items,” Daw said.

Jennifer Kuder said she has two children at HST and noted her children are “starving when they get off the bus at the end of the day. The portion sizes are too small.

“They also get charged for items they have not purchased including extra snacks and breakfast items. I have contacted several people about the charges and credits have not been issued,” Kuder said.

“Other parents are experiencing the same issues.”

Kuder also mentioned issues with the “Slice App” and that menu items listed are not always the ones being served.

Both parents noted the Thanksgiving dinner served was wonderful.

Board President Frank Frankenfield thanked Daw and Kuder for addressing their concerns and their feedback.

“We started a new food service and there will be some bumps in the road but we will perfect this over time and we will strive to address these issues and report back to you,” Frankenfield said.

It is a busy time of the year for the business office at the Salisbury Township School District.

Board Secretary Robert Bruchak said the audit is being finalized and, in order to stay compliant with the security and bonds commission in regard to the district’s bonds, is getting ready to be submitted to the Electronic Municipal Market Access system.

Bruchak also noted Board Treasurer Dawn Nickisher has been working with the district finance team on the annual financial report and the report was submitted in a timely fashion.

The business office is wrapping up a lot of the loose ends that come during this time of the year and at the same time planning for the 2018-2019 budget.

In other business, the board approved an agenda item to place Muhlenberg College student Brooke Heisner as a student teacher for the fourth grade at HST.

Members of the board also approved a Memorandum of Understanding between the Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners, the township police department and the school district.

In personnel announcements, Jessica Bean was approved as a full-time reading specialist at HST effective Jan. 2, 2018 pending completion of requirements. Karl Laub has been transferred temporarily to HST as a full-time utility maintenance custodian. Allison Moyer has been hired as a full-time long-term substitute guidance counselor at Salisbury High School effective the second semester through the remainder of the school year. Alyson Saxman has been approved as a full-time long-term third grade teacher at Western Salisbury Elementary School for the remainder of the school year.

Edward Ohlson has been approved as a volunteer assistant varsity boys basketball coach for the 2017-2018 school year pending completion of requirements. Robert Sopko has been approved as a volunteer assistant baseball coach for the 2017-2018 school year. Daniel Dawson Reichenbach III has been approved as a volunteer assistant varsity boys basketball coach for the 2017-2018 school year pending completion of requirements.

Director Mary Ziegler gave an update regarding the Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit.

According to Ziegler, the emotional support team of the CLIU serves 232 students with 19 of those students from Salisbury.

In order to address the needs of the students through special programs and services, the CLIU has 303 professional staff members, 237 support staff and 18 full staff all under ACT 93.

The CLIU has serviced 3,196 students in the 14 districts in Carbon and Lehigh counties along with charter and non-public schools during the 2016-2017 school year.

The budget for the CLIU is $3,047,000 and includes curriculum, Ed-Tech and building and maintenance expenses.

Salisbury’s estimated budgeted amount for the CLIU for the next school year is $33,607.

Board Vice President Samuel DeFrank said Lehigh Carbon Community College is “at capacity” and is “under-serving the area” but noted a relocation for the Allentown campus is going to be “very good for the area.”

Upcoming meetings include an operations committee meeting 7 p.m. Jan. 8, 2018 at the administration building, a regular board meeting 7:30 p.m. Jan. 17, 2018 at the administration building and a curriculum and technology meeting 7 p.m. Jan. 29, 2018 at HST.