Dare County Schools Board of Education Member Mary Ellon Ballance (center) speaks of how students being fed “is proven to improve student academics” at the board's Sept. 26 meeting in Manteo. Fellow board members Ron Payne (left) and Vice Chairman Carl Woody (right) listen. (Screenshot of Dare County Schools' meeting livestream by Corinne Saunders)
By Corinne Saunders
MANTEO — After about an hour of discussion that at times was heated to the point board members were talking over one another, the Dare County Schools Board of Education voted 6-1 in Thursday night’s special meeting to request universal meals funding from county commissioners.
The request for approximately $400,000—an undetermined amount of which would be reimbursed with federal funding, with more reimbursements occurring as more students eat meals—will be presented at the Dare County Board of Commissioners’ Oct. 7 meeting.
The universal meals plan would allow all Dare County Schools students to eat meals at no direct cost to them or to their families.
As Superintendent Steve Basnight has explained several times in recent public meetings, the 106 North Carolina school districts that participate in some form of the plan see their numbers of students eating meals increase.
Ron Payne was the sole board member to vote against the request.