Board reviews safety upgrades, approves summer food program renewal and rate increases

The Rome City School District board heard a safety committee update outlining plans to add portable metal detectors and handheld wands and approved summer nutrition program actions for summer 2026.

Miss Safeen, presenting the safety committee report, said the district is "hoping to be able to launch [metal detectors] for September" and that the units are portable so they can be deployed to sporting events and other sites; the committee also described wand screening, threat-assessment coordination, traffic studies at several elementary locations, and training plans for CPR/AED and other health-and-safety topics.

In related action, the board authorized renewal of the district’s participation in the Summer Food Service Program for June 29–August 21, 2026, and approved a recommended 4% increase in hourly rates for summer food staff (cook manager and food service helper positions adjusted in the resolution). A board member asked whether the summer food program is self-funded; administration said the school lunch and summer programs are self-funded.

Why this matters: safety investments — including screening equipment, staffing and training — carry implementation costs and require procurement and training timelines; the summer food program provides free meals to eligible children and the wage adjustments affect program labor costs.

Next steps: the safety committee will seek funding (grants and other sources) and continue planning for equipment purchase and staff training; the summer program will run as authorized June 29–August 21 and the administration will implement the adjusted pay rates for seasonal staff.