Carson City School Board approves food service agreement, insurance and wellness policies

The Carson City School Board took action on a handful of items Tuesday evening, approving the district’s insurance pool package, its food service agreement and changes to its wellness policy.

The board was also briefed on its substitute staffing services and the district provided an update to its Measures of Academic Progress, also known as MAP. Watch the full meeting below.

Superintendent’s report:

Carson City School District Superintendent Andrew Feuling noted the while the schools look rather empty for summer break, there’s a lot happening with capital improvement projects, with some rooms being changed around at different schools.

He also noted the recent ribbon cutting of the Carson High School ticket booth restoration efforts done by the Carson City Chamber Leadership Class of 2025.
“It took an extraordinary effort” among the people who made it happen, Feuling said. “It is a beautiful set up.”

In other non-action items for discussion was the district spoke with Dan Sadler and Heather Smith regarding an information update on Edustaff, substitute staffing services for the district.

Smith advised the district had 105 approved substitute teachers from September to March, with 18 new subs approved and eight pending approval.

She explained how Edustaff is marketing itself rigorously to find more substitutes, including information tables at job fairs at Western Nevada College, TMCC and UNR, plus ongoing community and college canvassing.

Trustee Rebecca Roberts said feedback from some of the substitutes she has spoken with has been largely positive with “a couple hiccups.”

Smith advised in her key takeaway that EduStaff will bring continued collaboration to further strengthen staffing.

Board Actions:

— In the first action item, trustees heard and approved a report submitted for agreement by Wayne Carlson and Ryan Garaventa, who facilitated the district’s insurance pool.

The district has been a member of the Nevada Public Agency Insurance Pool since entering into a Interlocal Cooperation Agreement in 1996. The risk sharing pool provides broad limits of coverage, risk management programs and grant funding. The cost of this program has remained stable over recent years, and in fact, a rate reduction was applied to the property program for this renewal.

Trustees were advised that any increase in the District’s premium is attributed to an increase in exposures (payroll, property values, number of vehicles) as opposed to the rates applied to those exposures.

The district continues to monitor the marketplace, the program offered by the Pool this year remains highly competitive, and the District enjoys a broad array of services that are not included in typical insurance programs, Garaventa said.

In addition, the district has maintained a program of self-insurance for Workers Compensation since 2010. Prior carrier Star Insurance Company was acquired by Safety National. The company will honor the multi-year rate guarantee that was negotiated for one more term.

Garaventa also negotiated with other carriers this term to find several options to replace Safety National. Incline Casualty will replace and underwrite the statutory excess coverage, and a fiduciary bond is also required to be posted with the Division of Insurance. Alternative quotes were offered this year for Workers Compensation, Incline Casualty Company remains most competitive. Included in the board packets is information regarding the coverage.

Trustees unanimously agreed to the renewal package for a program cost not to exceed $959,633.21; the Self-Insurance Bond in an amount not to exceed $5,400 and excess Workers Compensation Policy with Star Insurance Company in an amount no to exceed $78,385.80, for July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, as budgeted.

— The Board voted unanimously to renew its food service partnership with Compass Group Inc., USA (Chartwells). The agreement, which is part of a USDA requirement, is from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 at a cost to the District of an Administrative Fee not to exceed $6,500 per month for 10 months and a Management Fee not to exceed $.1050 per meal with funding to come from the Nutrition Fund.

In the discussion, Trustees Rebecca Roberts and Molly Walt inquired about individual school lunch menu choices. Walt asked about uniformity of the menu through all schools and why schools have different menu items than other schools.

Making the presentation on behalf of the district, Chief Financial and Operations Officer Spencer Windward advised school food menu items are made through what students say they like and prefer to have.

He said “tastes and likes of students” are factored in, and its Chartwells reviews have shown that each schools are different.

Also worth noting is that Chartwells has been actively working to provide students with different healthy food options throughout the day. Superintendent Feuling advised that over the course of 10 years, the district’s food service has been providing more variety and modifying menus based on what students have said they want.

The board voted unanimous to renew the contract for five years.

— Trustees also approved proposed changes to its Wellness Policy, CCSD Policy 245. After a discussion at its June 10 meeting and with some typographical changes, the board adopted the policy unanimously and without discussion.

The board also unanimously voted on changes to is Suicide Prevention, Intervention and Postvention policy, after a second reading.

During the previous discussion, the district presentation included proposed changes to the hiring of mental health professionals that are consistent with the district’s hiring practices and training. Also noteworthy are changes that will continue with suicide prevention screenings of 7th and 9th graders. The changes would bring in more people to be trained such as school counselors, nursing staff, school resources officers (SROs), essentially incorporating a whole team in being part of the suicide prevention screening process. The school district does prevention screenings a couple times a year with all 7th and 9th graders.

In other areas of suicide prevention, the district does its prevention work with social workers, counseling team and the entire school community. There’s also anti-bullying weeks at the schools, plus stepped up communications through the schools.

Trustees unanimously agreed to the policy changes.

Other presentations

The district heard a presentation from Tasha Fuson, Associate Superintendent of Educational Services and Superintendent Feuling on the 2024-2025 MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) which provides tests and district initiatives to support growth in math and literacy in grades K-8. It was noted by Feuling it was likely the last presentation for Fuson, who retires at the end of the month.

The testing is done in fall, winter and spring and is one of several measuring sticks to track elementary and middle school progress over the year. The presentation can be found beginning at the 1 hour, 47 minute mark here.

The post Carson City School Board approves food service agreement, insurance and wellness policies appeared first on Carson Now.