Despite heavy cuts in many aspects of the Haralson County School System, some components of they system are still improving.

Director of School Nutrition Cindy Jones said that by saving money by joining a cooperative buying group, enough funds were saved to renovate all of the system’s cafeterias – at least to some degree.

“We saved a lot of money. Each one of the schools is going to get some renovations, and there will be major renovations at the middle and high school. All the other schools will at least get some art work.”

Because the funds for the system’s nutrition department can only be spent in the department, Jones said that they must either spend the money or lose all of it.

“It’s federal money, and we get so much for free and reduced children and a small amount for kids that pay for their lunch,” she said.

Jones said the primary and elementary schools will be getting new paint and art, along with window cling to keep the sun from coming through the windows. The high school will have windows in the science classrooms replaced with opaque glass to prevent students from being able to see other students in the lunchroom. A step that Jones said will help hold students’ interests in their studies.

The renovations to the high school and middle school will be more aesthetically pleasing, Jones said, and the atmosphere should resemble a food court more than a cafeteria.

The middle school will have window cling that resembles stained glass so that the lunchroom will be visually appealing from the inside as well as the outside. Both the high school and the middle school will have decorative logos of the school mascots on some of the tables to make dining a better experience for them.

Though the renovations will not be totally complete until October, Jones said that all the work will be done on the weekends so that students will not be distracted when they return to school on Tuesday.

“Everything we’re doing is for the good of the kids, and everybody benefits from it, since nutrition money has to stay with nutrition things. Some kids don’t eat in the cafeteria now, and I think it will make them want to be there with their friends.”

The new school year, with its host of changes, will begin on Tuesday, Aug. 3.