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Chariho committee approves annual report and multiple grants; members press for sustainability details
Summary
The Chariho Regional School Committee unanimously approved the district annual report and a block of grants, including a Henry P. Kendall Foundation application for $53,150 that drew questions about sustaining food-initiative costs after the grant period.
The Chariho Regional School Committee on Aug. 19 approved the district’s 2024–25 annual report and authorized a block of grant acceptances, including an application to the Henry P. Kendall Foundation for $53,150 to support a local-foods initiative.
Superintendent Bacardi presented the annual report, which trustees said showcased student achievements, career and technical education gains and facilities work tied to the district’s Vision 2026. The committee approved the report unanimously.
The committee took grants as a block but pulled one application for separate consideration: the Henry P. Kendall Foundation New England Food Vision Prize application. Staff said the Kendall application would fund tastings, recipe development and pilot purchases to incorporate local nutrient-dense foods in K–12 school meals over a two-year period. Chartwells, the district food service provider, is a partner, staff said.
Committee members asked whether the district would be expected to continue funding purchases after prize funds expire. Staff and Chartwells representatives said the grant would broaden the district’s ability to try new items and conduct tastings during the award period; Chartwells already budgets for meals and staff said the district would not be expected to put $53,150 per year into the operating budget once the prize ends. The district said sustainability planning is part of grant reporting and that staff would use existing meal funds to incorporate recipes that prove acceptable to students.
One committee member noted the four grants discussed together total $130,943.50; the superintendent said the governor’s workforce-related grant amount was not yet specified in materials. The committee approved the grants unanimously after discussion.
Ending: Trustees praised the annual report’s detail and representation of district accomplishments and asked staff to include clearer calls-to-action in future editions to guide community volunteer engagement.
