Planning, technology helps Fort Mill students FLEX mental muscle

New technology and creative scheduling will soon make it easier for high school students to get extra help in classes and take advantage of school activities.

The Fort Mill School District recently implemented a Focused Learning Experience that gives students at both of its high schools a one-hour lunch period to participate in tutoring, make-up testing and other activities, said Kelly McKinney, district spokeswoman.

During FLEX days, Tuesdays and Thursdays, Fort Mill and Nation Ford high schools serve more than 1,800 students each during lunch, said Leanne Lordo, assistant superintendent of finance and operations. To handle the increased load, the district created additional serving lines, McKinney said.

The district has also ordered two mobile self-serving kiosks, one for each high school, to create a grab-and-go lunch option to help students make the most of FLEX days.

The fully equipped kiosks, which are $8,095 a piece, will help students get their lunches more quickly, Lordo said.

“We want to do everything we can to support this,” she said.

The high schools are also investing in finger biometrics scanning software that reads points on a student’s finger to create a unique lunch account, McKinney said. It does not create a fingerprint, but allows students to simply place their finger on the scanner to pay for lunch, quickening the process.

The finger reader technology costs $17,045, Lordo said.

Fort Mill School Board member Michelle Branning said she has personally seen the benefits the FLEX program provides students like her son Michael Branning, a junior at Fort Mill High School. She said he has been able to get academic help without sacrificing before and after school commitments or his lunch time.

“It’s a win all the way around,” Branning said.

Tammie Welch, district dietitian and assistant supervisor of the nutrition department, said the kiosks are a way to help students participate in the lunch program and still take advantage of FLEX days.

“We’re trying to meet students where they are,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to serve more meals and make it faster.”

The kiosks will feature healthy choices and pre-packaged cold and hot meals, Welch said.

“School lunch has really changed over the years,” Welch said. “Healthier items are offered to the students. We want students to buy from us.”

Branning said the technology and kiosks are another way the schools are helping students.

“It’s incredible forward thinking on our food service staff,” she said. “Hopefully it services the need and gets all of our kids fed. Everybody needs that nourishment to make your brain work better.”

Branning said the FLEX program’s success is due to students, teachers and other district staff committing to making it work.

“When you have a group buy into something, you get better results,” she said. “It’s a work in progress, but I feel it is progressing in the right direction.”

This story was originally published November 23, 2015 at 9:22 AM with the headline "Planning, technology helps Fort Mill students FLEX mental muscle."