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Following a discussion regarding the food service policy that prevents students with a deficit of $6.75 from eating lunch, the Ellwood City Area school board decided to leave the policy as is after all members except President Renee Pitrelli and Vice President Matt Morella agreed. At Thursday’s regular meeting, Carmelia Fury, director of Holy Redeemer Social Services, presented a written statement to the board in which she criticized this decision. The statement said the board shouldn’t base such policies on financial concerns and that all students should be able to eat. She added that the board should find out why…

The following is a brief summary of the Ellwood City Area school board meeting held on March 10: Recognition Congratulations to 5th grader Hayden Slade, 5th grader Grady Smith, 4th grader Gabrielle Kalantzis, sophomore Katelyn Cole, 7th grader Samuel DiCaprio and 7th grader Emily Borroni for receiving the 2016 Carson Scholarship. They were among 7300 students nationally to be named Carson Scholars and will each receive a $1,000 college scholarship. This was Grady’s second year being named a Carson Scholar, and he qualified as a 2016 Recognized Carson Scholar. Congratulations to junior Taylor Petrak, who won the WPIAL 50-yard freestyle…

Revision: Students on free or reduced lunch plans always receive a lunch. This was known by the Ellwoodcity.org staff but overlooked when the article was written. Following a lengthy discussion Monday, the Ellwood City Area School Board decided not to change the food service policy which had been questioned in February by members of the Kitchen Cabinet, an Ellwood City volunteer group. As is, the cafeteria staff takes lunch from students whose meal account is $6.75 overdrawn. Excepting packaged items, the food is then thrown out for health and safety reasons. In grades K-12, students subsequently receive a meal of…

At the Ellwood City area school board agenda meeting on Monday, board members mentioned a potential merger suitor, sort of. Board President Renee Pitrelli mentioned that an official from another school district said that representatives from the district might be interested in a merger. Pitrelli would only say that the district is close, is not Riverside and that Ellwood is not currently engaged in any official merger discussions. However, Pitrelli said that drastic action may need to be taken due to the uncertainty in Harrisburg. The Pennsylvania legislature still has not yet passed a budget for 2016. Meanwhile, the school…