EBR School Board hears $4.5M child-nutrition deficit; director outlines causes and corrective steps

The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board on Aug. 21 was briefed on a child nutrition budget shortfall of roughly $4.5 million and heard a plan from the district’s new child nutrition director to stabilize the program while maintaining meal quality.

The district’s director for child nutrition, Ellen Hill, told the board the program entered the 2024–25 school year with a zero fund balance after prior-year spending and labor changes. Hill said the program started the 2023–24 school year carrying a deficit and that a combination of one-time stipends, multi-step pay increases and converting long-term part-time staff to full-time roles drove increased labor and benefit costs.

Hill said the stipend alone paid last year totaled about $1,500,000 and that additional step increases and converting part-time positions to full time added further payroll and benefits expense. Hill said the district’s child nutrition staff count rose from about 469 to roughly 533 employees following those changes. Hill said the program historically relied on a fund balance to cover startup costs; without that balance, the program began the 2024–25 year with no reserve.

Why it matters: Child nutrition is a major district budget item and provides meals that many students depend on. Public commenters and board members urged careful review because cuts to meal quality would affect students’ health and learning.

Board discussion and questions focused on the timeline and scale of the spending increases, whether food quality would be reduced and what revenue or budget actions could address the gap. Hill said the district’s procurement this year added a third food vendor and additional produce sources, which reduced raw food costs. She emphasized that the district does not intend to reduce food quality.

Superintendent Cole and multiple board members praised Hill for taking over the program mid-crisis and asked staff to work collaboratively to complete a corrective action plan. Board member comments noted prior-year decisions (stipends and hiring) as drivers of the deficit and acknowledged enrollment declines also increased per-student cost pressure.

Formal actions: The child nutrition budget revision (listed on the consent agenda as item 2) was included in the consent package and approved as part of the consent motion that carried. The board did not take a separate, standalone vote at the time of the discussion.

Clarifying details: Hill said the stipend disbursement was implemented in increments (a $2,000 and then a $1,500 component); she characterized the combined stipend total as $1,500,000 for the stipend piece and noted that the five-step increases and full-time conversions added substantially to labor and benefit costs but did not provide a single consolidated figure for all increases beyond the stipend. Hill also said the program’s startup costs in prior years ran in the $3 million–$4 million range, historically covered by fund balance.

What’s next: Hill outlined that the corrective action plan will continue to reduce food costs through diversified vendors and monitor staffing levels; board members requested ongoing updates and said they would consider supplemental general-fund support if efficiency improvements are insufficient.

Ending: Board members and public commenters urged that further review be collaborative and transparent to avoid cuts to meal quality, and staff said they will return with additional financial detail and corrective steps for subsequent meetings.