06 Oct 2021

Election Survey for Candidates for Community School District School Board Director in Scott County, Iowa

By Todd McGreevy

$300MM Annually 26,000 Students 24 Candidates, 19 Questions

On Tuesday, November 2, Scott County Iowa voters have the responsibility of electing the school board directors in the districts in which they live. In the Bettendorf, Davenport, North Scott, and Pleasant Valley districts there are challengers running against incumbents. And there are two write-in candidates declared in the Davenport district. Most candidates run on their electability driven by their professional experience and/or vested interest in the district's governance because they have school-age children inside the system. While these are important attributes for said leadership, a grasp of the monumental issues facing our public school institutions is also a measure of one's qualifications to serve.

13 May 2010

Feeding Young Minds: Making School Lunches Fresher (and More Local) Isn't Easy, But It Can Be Done

By Jeff Ignatius

When Jodee O'Tool's son entered kindergarten in the Bettendorf Community School District in 2008, she was troubled by the meals the school offered.

"I started looking at the menu," she said. "I am in the field of nutrition, so that's something that's important to me.

"It's mostly processed food," she said. "Not much fresh food. ... A lot of it is hot dogs. ... A lot of chicken nuggets. Fried food ... ."

The Bettendorf elementary menu for May is a good illustration. The 20 lunches include three meals anchored by chicken nuggets, one with popcorn chicken, and one with a breaded chicken patty. One entrée is a hot dog; another is breaded mozzarella sticks.

On the fresh side are days with orange wedges, bananas, apple slices, watermelon wedges, grapes, celery sticks, "carroteenies," and freshly made salads.

While these meals meet federal nutrition standards, O'Tool said they're not particularly good for students overall. And she's trying to change the way the Bettendorf Community School District feeds its children.

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