S-OCS hires OVHS, Patricksburg principals, raises school lunch prices

The Spencer-Owen Community School Corporation (S-OCS) might not be able to afford offering elementary school students free breakfast.

Superintendent Andy Cline told the S-OCS Board of School Trustees at its June 11 meeting that the district is analyzing whether or not it can continue to offer free breakfast. The board set a potential price for the breakfast and discussed price increases to school lunches.

The board requested a 10 cent maximum increase for elementary and secondary lunches, making them $2.90 and $3.30.

Reduced breakfast and lunches will stay the same, at 30 and 40 cents.

Adult lunches are not subject to the 10 cent maximum and will increase by 20 cents, making them $5.20. Across all S-OCS schools, 348,650 meals were served during the 2025-2026 school year.

S-OCS Food Service Director Balinda Wagner said the district's reimbursement rates haven't kept up with inflation, causing the district to reevaluate if they can sustain the program if the surplus costs are left to the district to pay.

Previously, the district was receiving close to $54,000 per year through funding issued during the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly covered the free breakfast. The district also used to receive food through the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program.

"That money was used to provide minimally processed local proteins and produce," Wagner said. "The farmers would get paid for that, and then the schools would receive that food, free of charge, because of the grant money paid for it. We would be able to get fresh beef from Fischer Farms."

The U.S. Department of Agriculture cut the program in March 2025, along with the Local Food Purchase Assistance cooperative agreement, totaling a roughly $1 billion cut in programs that connected communities to local farmers and ranchers.

If the district decides to proceed with paid elementary school breakfast, it would be $1.40. If a student qualifies for free or reduced meals, they will still receive free breakfast, Cline said.

During the 2025-2026 school year, the district served 104,947 free breakfasts for elementary school students, Wagner said in an email. Across all the elementary schools, 649 students qualify for free meals, 90 qualify for reduced meals and 523 don't qualify for either.

All board members were present during the meeting and approved Cline's contract renewal from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2028 for $135,000 annually. The contract also includes a $2,500 stipend if the corporation receives an A letter grade and a $1,000 stipend if it receives a B.

The board approved former assistant principal Jacob Steinmetz to take over as Owen Valley High School principal and former interim principal Kris Samick as Patricksburg Elementary School principal. Samick will also remain in the Director of Communications role.

The board also approved the 2026-2027 student handbooks for the elementary schools, Owen Valley Middle School (OVMS), Owen Valley High School (OVHS), OVHS Alternative School and the OVMS and OVHS athletic handbooks.

It unanimously approved the following items:

• Harmon Consulting Services, LLC 2026 to 2027 contract.
• OVMS first floor flooring quote.
• OVMS surplus item list for English/Language Arts.
• One time stipend for superintendent.

During the meeting, OVMS Principal Tom Arthur gave a presentation detailing data about the school. The school issued more than 460 high school credits this past year, the attendance rate slightly increased, and the school's discipline record has continued to trend downward, he said.

Arthur also talked about the school's approach to teaching math. This past year, the middle school had student teachers from Indiana University. Arthur received an email from IU Clinical Assistant Professor Lori Burch, who asked how the school had developed its conceptual understanding framework.

She told Arthur that IU teaches students that the students they go on to teach need to understand the "why" behind math and how things work.

"'The problem is when I send them out into the field, there's not very many classrooms that that's actually happening in,'" Arthur remembered Burch saying. "'It's still very procedural instruction,' she says. And Dr. Burch looked at us and said, 'To be honest with you, I think you guys are the only ones that's actually doing this.'"

Arthur said the school is working to create more partnerships to give college students field experience inside OVMS math classrooms.

Cline also announced the district had just finished up the grant preparation process for a $35 million artificial intelligence grant, part of a consortium of 10 school corporations. The district will find out by September if it will receive money or not, he said.

He encouraged businesses to attend the Owen County Chamber of Commerce's Employer Partnership Exchange event from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 14 at OVHS. New diploma requirements mean more community service, work or apprenticeship for local teenagers.

"We need our businesses to be prepared to take on some of our students for that type of work," Cline said. "Whether it be paid or not, it is going to be a requirement that will be a challenge for Owen Valley High School."

The board also approved three resignation, one contract, one retirement, one transfer and 13 employment requests.

Resignations

• Kaitlyn Orick, OVHS English teacher
• Chad Smith, OVHS boys cross country coach
• Susan Huffman, SES cook

Contract

• 2026-2028 superintendent contract

Retirement

• Karen Evans, SES nurse assistant

Transfer

• Kali Smith, OVMS bookkeeper

Employment and educational credential assessments

• Bryanna Noesges, SES second-grade teacher
• Emma Yartz, GES first-grade teacher
• Leigh Michael-Peterson, SES severe/moderate instructional assistant
• Holly Murray, SES instructional assistant
• Harrison Wright, SES kindergarten teacher
• Emilee Woods, PES summer custodian
• Matt Beckwith, OVMS YES sponsor
• Jacob Steinmetz, OVHS principal
• Kris Samick, PES principal
• Charley Truax, SES fifth-grade teacher
• Brian Greene, OVHS assistant football coach
• Chase Hiland, OVHS assistant football coach
• Chad Smith, OVHS assistant football coach

The board will meet next at 7 p.m. June 16 in the Mike Wells Memorial Board Room at Central Office, 205 E. Hillside Ave., Spencer.