Cafeteria director seeks extra hours, equipment and modest price change as district plans fund spend‑down

The district’s food‑service leader told the board the cafeteria department will ask the board to approve extra hours for five positions and a 10% markup on a la carte prices rounded to the nearest nickel at Tuesday’s meeting to help sustain hot breakfast expansion and manage fund balances.

Lindsay, who presented the cafeteria report, said the added hours are mainly to support expanded hot breakfast service at the elementary school and to fill short shifts at the high school. “It’s adding on to our breakfast team, because we are adding some new breakfast items on hot breakfast, with the intent to, you know, improve that moving forward,” she said.

The proposed 10% uniform markup is intended as a modest buffer so the a la carte program “is not losing money on our unit cost of items,” Lindsay said. She told trustees the 10% markup is smaller than the average markup the district had in recent months and that the change makes pricing more consistent across items.

Lindsay also outlined equipment purchases tied to increasing hot breakfast — additional warmers and replacement items at the elementary and high school. She said the larger kitchen equipment project is nearly complete but that additional plug‑and‑play warmers and similar items would be bid in November. Staff said those purchases are expected to be simple take‑out‑and‑replace installations and that Carmen (facilities) will handle any minor wiring.

The presentation repeatedly referenced a district obligation to “spend down” a cafeteria fund balance. Lindsay told the board the larger kitchen equipment project was estimated at $400,003.75 (listed as the project total in the materials) and that other proposed items would reduce the remaining balance the auditors flagged for spend‑down. Trustees asked for clearer monthly financial statements showing current cash balance and monthly expenses; staff said cafeteria balances appear in the monthly financial report and that updated bank statements would be provided for Tuesday’s meeting.

Board members asked how the hot breakfast schedule would expand and what staffing and equipment would be needed. Lindsay said hot breakfast is currently served two days a week at the elementary, with staff starting before 6 a.m. on hot‑breakfast days to prepare wrapped sandwiches and other items. She said the goal is to expand the program, potentially to four days a week, but emphasized planning and staffing are required.

Ending: Trustees asked staff to provide up‑to‑date cafeteria cash‑balance numbers and to upload the equipment bid documents and the revised agenda before Tuesday’s meeting.