Why a high school as large as Fort High is unable to offer its students cafeteria-style food over the lunch hour is hard to fathom—yet that’s precisely the case to start the school year.
The issue remains a touchy one three years after what transpired back to 2011. Former operator Kathy Cuthbertson took exception to an article in last week’s Times which stated she opted not to continue running the cafeteria.
That is what happened—she was presented with a contract by the Rainy River District School Board and chose not to accept it. In her defence, however, she had no other choice. The new contract (which had ballooned from three pages to more than 50) contained conditions which, to paraphrase Rudolf Zeitlhofer in his letter to the editor, no one in their right mind could—or would—agree to.
Sadly, Mrs. Cuthbertson says she still, to this day, is confronted by people who blame her for the cafeteria situation at Fort High. That’s absolutely absurd—and clearly hurtful and unfair to someone who genuinely loved what she did.
FFHS teacher Kelly Connor provided a short-term solution when he and his hospitality class students took over preparing the food while volunteers served it. That lasted until this past June, when Mr. Connor rightfully said he couldn’t put 100 percent into his three classes and 100 percent into the cafeteria.
The board reportedly put out a tender for a cafeteria operator for the 2014-15 school year and received no applications. As FFHS principal Peg Keffer noted, “It’s hard for businesses to follow [the tender] and make money.”
Obviously that’s where the problem lies.
With the current board unable to act due to the Oct. 27 municipal election, the onus falls to the new board to rectify this unacceptable situation and get the Fort High “caf” re-opened as quickly as possible.
Other boards surely have figured it out for their respective high schools.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
