ROARING SPRING — The Spring Cove School Board approved an update to the district’s health and safety plan Tuesday night.

Superintendent Betsy Baker said officials were pleased to see a continuing downward trend of COVID-19 cases in the county and school. As of Tuesday night, Baker said the district had gone five days without a single school-related COVID-19 case.

The adjustment allows school-based close contacts to remain in school while masking for 10 days from the date of an individual’s last exposure, so long as they are asymptomatic. The district’s previous plan required exposed individuals to stay home for five days before returning to school with a mask for an additional five days.

Baker also addressed concerns from the previous meeting over the quality of school lunches. She said there was a cafeteria audit last week on a day where the district had one less staff member present on Jan. 31, which was the day when lunches ran late at Central High School.

“Our visitors definitely had the opportunity to see our cafeteria operations under conditions which were not at all ideal,” Baker said. “But despite being short-staffed, the auditor shared that all of the students did get through the lunch line with plenty of time to eat, within the standard required times.”

Baker said the report is ready and she will meet with auditors next week to go over results, but there are no compliance concerns. The meals and portion sizes meet national school requirements, according to the superintendent.

Baker added that officials asked the auditors to look for additional things to improve upon, going beyond the minimal expectation.

During the public comment period, Kevin Smith apologized for the way he left the previous board meeting saying he was “pretty upset.” He said he was frustrated that the public was told that they cannot use third-party information because it is hearsay, but that Baker spoke during the last meeting about school lunches on social media despite not seeing it for herself. Smith alluded that Baker was using a third-party source and not something she knew or experienced.

He thanked everyone who looked into the lunch issue before reiterating the community’s support.

“That’s why we’re here. We don’t want to come here and fight. We all want the best for the kids,” Smith said.

Smith also called for better communication between everyone, “whether we like what each other says or not.

“The children need our support,” Smith said.

The meeting also featured English/language arts curriculum presentations from elementary school educators.

Spring Cove Elementary proposed the Fountas and Pinnell Classroom ELA Program for its kindergarteners, first and second graders. Martinsburg Elementary showcased Wonders ELA Program for third, fourth and fifth graders. The educators said both providers give classrooms multiple ways to teach and develop reading skills through interactive activities and group and individual reading. The programs also provide analytical tools that help educators tailor the curriculum content to each student’s specific needs.

A board member asked why all elementary classrooms would not use the same provider, and one of the Martinsburg Elementary teachers said Fountas and Pinnell specializes in “learning to read,” while Wonder provides for older students who are “reading to learn.”

The board also hosted a class of kindergartners, who are now published authors.

With standing room only in the gallery, the young authors of Glenda Everetts’ Spring Cove Elementary class each read their own contribution to “A: My Name is Alliteration.” The book was written and illustrated by the students and sent to a publishing company.

In other board action, officials approved an overnight FFA trip to Harrisburg in March, the acceptance of gifted library books in memory of Jackie Socie at Martinsburg Elementary, finance reports, a lock in natural gas prices and a variety of personnel motions.

The board also approved the school calendar for the 2022-23 year with the first student day slated for

Aug. 24 and the last day on June 1, 2023.