NEW ULM — The District 88 Board of Education heard updates from administrators on school activities, the district food service and data, during a work session Thursday.

New Ulm Middle School assistant principal and activities director Jamie Boelter told the board student participation in middle school activities remains “pretty steady,” with no dramatic decrease or increase in numbers.

Boelter said the student participation in afterschool clubs across the fall, winter and spring trimesters remains relatively constant with slightly higher numbers during the fall trimester.

He said middle school administrators often talk with students to see what kinds of clubs they may be interested in and try to offer new clubs each trimester.

“It’s become more engrained with how kids think about when they go to school there should be some sort of club or something they can get involved in,” he said.

Boelter also told the board the middle school is proposing an expansion of its wrestling program into a five-day program because of the increase in student participation. He said when the program began, only three students were in the wrestling program, compared to the present 14 students.

“This would be an investment because we would need more coaches,” Boelter said. “We would need more equipment, but I think we have facilities that could accommodate this expansion.”

Boelter also proposed adding middle school tennis groups and a golf club to bump up student participation further. He said the success of the middle school’s play serves as an example of students getting interested and involved in activities.

“If you allow it, I think kids will jump on board and be very engaged with everything we offer,” he said.

High school assistant principal and activities director Troy Guentzel said student participation numbers in activities remain consistent as well, with slight decreases and increases in some activities. He said total participants in school activities stands at 865 participants.

Guentzel said the cheer team added two co-coaches to its program during the fall season.

“One of the things they brought this year is higher expectations and not looking at cheer so much as an add-on, but a legitimate activity,” he said.

Guentzel also noted the decrease in student numbers on the high school football team. However, he said he was proud of the team’s resilience during the season.

Student numbers during winter activities remain consistent as well, with a decrease in four students in girls hockey which stood at 10 members during the season.

During the spring season, activities that lost numbers were baseball, the clay target team and boys and girls track and field.

In a food service update, board members were briefed on breakfast, lunch and a la carte meal numbers, as well as costs and ongoing programs.

Breakfast and lunch meals were up at an average of 23 meals per day districtwide with a decrease in the number of free/reduced lunches. A la carte revenue has decreased at an average of $45 per day.

Food costs have also decreased because of the economical use of commodities. Labor numbers also remain constant, with adequate staffing districtwide.

Under a recent relaxation of federal regulations and guidelines requiring schools to provide healthier meal alternatives such as whole grains and fat-free milk, food services director Teri Jespersen said the district will again start providing one-percent milk and 50 percent whole grain breads and pastas instead of 100 percent.

Jespersen said the middle school will begin work on replacing the freezer and coolers after the completion of the school year, and the project will be completed before this fall. The food service also received a $4,500 grant for the replacement of milk coolers in the district.

Director of Learning Services Paul Henn said MCA testing finishes Friday and the district is awaiting the results. STAR and FAST testing at Jefferson Elementary is also scheduled for completion in the coming weeks.

The board will examine and discuss testing scores in June with a focus on academic achievement and progress. The results help school administrators and officials make recommendations on programs and planning.

The next regular school board meeting is 6 p.m. Thursday, May 23, in the district boardroom at 414 S. Payne St.