Kari Campan, director of Strategic Financial Operations for Tacoma Public Schools, told the board that the district’s child nutrition program is not self-supporting and relies on local tax revenue to cover a shortfall.

Campan said the district budgets roughly $17 million in CEP-based reimbursements and about $1 million directly from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a total of about $18 million, while costs run about $20 million. “We have about $20,000,000 of costs covered by $18,000,000 of expected reimbursements for meals,” Campan said. She also described per-meal federal reimbursement rates, saying, “$2.37 is the reimbursement for a breakfast meal, for our students. $4.43 for a lunch that’s being served, and then snacks, a dollar 21.”

The nut graf: The presentation framed the tension between rising participation and constrained per-meal reimbursements: the district said participation has grown in recent years while federal and state reimbursement rates cover most but not all costs, leaving the district to subsidize meals with local funds.

Campan and the board outlined scale and participation. The district serves about 11,000 breakfasts, 15,000 lunches and more than 1,000 snacks on an average day — roughly 28,000 meal components — with about 90 employees and substitutes in nutrition services. Districtwide revenue for the current year is approximately $578,000,000, and nutrition represents about 3% of that total. Participation by students has fluctuated in recent years (Campan cited historical percentages ranging from about 42% to 57% in different years) and is expected to rise again.

Campan described program features that have supported participation, including the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which the district uses to make meals available without payment for all students in qualifying schools, and Farm to Schools partnerships to source local foods. She said that CEP enrollment means “all students eat without paying for a meal” while noting that meals must be “qualified” under USDA/OSPI rules (three components of the five required) for the district to receive reimbursement.

Board members asked about reimbursement timing and cost coverage. Campan said USDA and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) administer per-meal rates and that emergency ESSER subsidies that temporarily raised reimbursements two years ago have expired, reducing the per-meal amount the district receives.

On budget mechanics, Campan said staffing and food are the program’s largest costs — about $13 million for staffing and $7 million for food in the current budget — and that the district looks for grants, increased adult meal sales, and reduced waste to narrow the gap. She noted a central kitchen funded by the recent bond is planned and could affect future operations.

Board members framed the financing challenge in the context of statewide school funding pressures. Superintendent Garcia said Washington public schools face “a horrific financial situation” overall and signaled concern about sustaining current subsidy levels over time.

Ending: Campan said staff will continue to pursue grants and operational changes to reduce waste and labor costs while the board considers long-term budget implications. She thanked nutrition staff for operational improvements that have expanded variety and participation.