Food-service budget projects small surplus for 2025–26 under ‘normal year’ assumptions

The Wallingford School District’s projected food-service budget for 2025–26 assumes a ‘‘normal year’’ with no federal or state emergency funding, and shows total revenues of $2,651,732 against total costs of $2,632,554, producing a planned surplus of $19,178.

Food-service presenter Mr. Bondi told the Special Operations Committee the budget uses last September–October meal counts extrapolated over a full year and assumes customary annual increases in federal and state reimbursement rates (Bondi cited typical increases of about 2 cents for paid lunch, 18 cents for reduced and free lunch, and about 9 cents for reduced and free breakfast). The proposal assumes breakfast and lunch revenues are based on those average meal counts and forecast reimbursement steps.

Bondi said the budget assumes no new increases in state or federal grant funding for healthy-food programs, state match funds or other exceptional grants, but it does assume the state will continue funding free breakfast and lunch for those eligible for reduced-price meals. He said he does not expect that state policy to be rolled back.

On costs, Bondi reported food costs budgeted at 44 percent of revenues (up from a recent typical 42 percent) to guard against price uncertainty, and paper costs budgeted at 4 percent of revenues. Personnel costs assume stabilization of the labor force with fewer extra hours and substitute hours than in prior years, but include higher medical benefits. Bondi said he expects no large retirement payouts in the coming year because most long-term cafeteria associates do not plan to retire.

Committee members asked about year-to-year revenue declines. Bondi and others clarified that the district is not offering free breakfast in the current year, which reduced federal reimbursement and lowered breakfast participation; that is the main driver of the drop from earlier-year revenues of roughly $3.4 million (2022–23) to the current-year and proposed numbers. Committee members also asked about capital equipment purchases (vans, refrigerators, freezers) that have been funded from prior surpluses and were counted against current-year operating results. Bondi said capital purchases were excluded from the operating-surplus calculation to show the operating program itself remains roughly balanced.

Asked about maintenance parts and equipment, Bondi said he did not factor in significant capital purchases in 2025–26 because recent years’ surplus-funded purchases have replaced many large items.

Ending: Bondi and committee members agreed to follow up with staff for line-item details if needed; no formal vote occurred on the food-service budget at the meeting.