Board approves shift to participation-based cafeteria manager pay; holders 'held harmless'

The New Hanover County Board of Education voted to change the salary scale for cafeteria managers from a simple school-level band (elementary, middle, high) to a structure based on meal-equivalent participation.

Under the approved plan, managers will be paid according to the number of meal equivalents served in their school rather than the school's grade level alone. Staff said the measure aligns pay to workload and to federal reimbursement rules: participation is measured in meal equivalents (for example, a breakfast and a lunch count as separate meal equivalents), and higher participation increases federal reimbursement. Staff told the board some managers will receive raises; those whose salary level would otherwise drop under the new scale will be held harmless and keep current pay while employed in their present assignments.

Board members discussed whether the change will encourage greater student participation in school meals and whether it might disadvantage managers at lower-participation sites. Staff responded that participation drives staffing and reimbursement and that the new scale is designed to create a more equitable pay structure that reflects daily workload differences across sites.

The board approved the change during the agenda-review meeting and removed the item from next week's full-board agenda. The board also approved a related motion to implement the change without forcing immediate pay reductions; managers who transfer will be paid under the new scale at the receiving site.

Ending: Staff said the change should encourage higher meal participation and align staffing and pay with operational realities; staff will implement the scale and provide guidance to managers about transitions and options.