Bedford County schools review nutrition department losses, consider staff reductions and centralized kitchens

Staff for Bedford County Public Schools on the finance committee presented a review of the nutrition program's profit-and-loss figures and told the committee they expect operational changes will bring many school cafeterias back to breakeven.

The presentation, which the presenter summarized as an analysis of "revenue, expenses, profit and loss, the margin, and meals per labor hour" by school, identified several one-time capital expenditures that increased expense totals on the profit-and-loss statements and several schools with meals-per-labor-hour figures below district targets. The presenter said Liberty High School had roughly $40,000 in one-time capital costs for meal dispensers installed in March and noted one elementary school (referred to in the materials as Monita/Munita) had an unusually high loss that staff said they are investigating.

Why it matters: the nutrition program is intended to operate at or near breakeven. Continued operating losses in some schools add pressure to the district's overall budget and were raised alongside other potential reductions such as staff-hour cuts.

Key details from the committee discussion: - Staff said the district…