A longtime Riverside Schools’ tradition returns next week in a little different format, as the district serves up its senior citizens Thanksgiving dinner Monday evening, Nov. 22, school officials reported at the board of education meeting this week.
Seniors living in the district are invited to participate in the drive-thru style pick up event in the school’s north parking lot from 4:30 to 6 p.m. for the Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings.
The meal also was served in similar drive-thru fashion last Thanksgiving as a COVID-19 precaution.
“We’re happy to do this as a service to our community,” Elementary Principal Mason Bryan said. “It’s always a memorable time and a special day for our seniors. Our kitchen staff has been so gracious in all of their help and extra hours put in to make this event possible. They make a delicious feast.”
Also during the meeting, Bryan noted that the district’s Grandparents Day, previously planned for next week, has been postponed until the spring.
“We regret having to postpone this, but it typically involves many grandparents visiting our building and we want to keep people safe during the pandemic,” he said. “We didn’t want to risk anyone becoming ill at Thanksgiving time because they had been here for this event.
“We’ll look forward to having our grandparents here in the spring.”
Treasurer Ronnie Fitchpatrick presented the district’s five-year forecast, which predicts all five years ending in the black.
“The district has a strong cash balance and we’re in a good spot financially,” he said.
“The federal grants we’ve received recently have helped to strengthen our cash balance.”
This fiscal year’s unreserved fund balance as of June 30 is predicted at $12,932,178. Next fiscal year in 2023, the year-ending balance is projected as $13,566,443, and in year 2024, as $13,979,802.
Members also honored Riverside senior Sasha Stotler at the meeting for her recent signing a letter of intent with West Virginia University to play volleyball at the Division I college. She was featured in a story in Tuesday’s Examiner.
Similar to other area school districts, the board also approved a resolution that changes the qualifications needed to be employed as a substitute teacher. For this school year, subs do not have to hold a post-secondary degree, but will still need to complete training and background checks before being employed in that role.
In other action, the board:
• extended the following supplemental contracts: Kelly Kauffman, school play; Lily Yoder, assistant varsity girls basketball; Morgan Herron, high school boys basketball coverage; and Jan Knight, high school girls basketball coverage; and
• accepted the following donations of $50 for GRACE lunch program and $50 in memory of Dick McIntosh to the FFA Program, both from the Wiford Family; and $20 for veteran’s picture frames from Kathy Madden;
The next meeting is 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 14, at the school library.
Members also nominated Dr. Bradley Adams as president pro-tempore of the upcoming 2022 organizational meeting slated for Tuesday, Jan. 11. The regular monthly meeting will follow.