Department of Education staff briefed the committee on the school nutrition formula, statutory basis and how state allotments interact with local payroll decisions.

"Any state funds appropriated for this purpose shall be used to supplement federal funds as a means of keeping sale prices within reach of paying students and maximize participation in quality meals for all students," Department staff quoted from OCGA 22-1-87 when explaining the program's statutory purpose.

Key formula numbers: staff said calculated formula earnings for FY2026 total $33,200,000. The largest component is the salary allotment; staff said the department is providing $2,586 per lunchroom worker (the statutory floor referenced in code is much lower). Manager supplements are budgeted at $400 per manager and sick-leave funding for managers and non-managers was described in small per-person amounts in the presentation.

Reduced-paying students: staff noted an additional $6,300,000 in state funds was appropriated in FY25 for reduced-paying students; that amount is part of the school nutrition budget but not part of the statutory formula calculation.

How raises interact with district budgets: using a Cobb County example, staff showed that a 5% pay raise applied only to the state allotment produces a modest dollar increase from the state portion (the department calculated a state-allotment increase of roughly $129 for a 5% raise as modeled). Staff told the committee that most of a lunchroom worker's salary is paid from local program revenues or federal reimbursement and that if the legislature mandates a raise but does not fully fund it at the state level, a district must find the remaining dollars (through program revenues or local resources) to deliver a full local increase.

Committee concerns and clarity requested: members asked whether a district could choose not to pass an appropriated state increase through to workers; staff said the state funds are required to be used in the nutrition program and that local decisions govern final payroll decisions. Committee members asked for clarity so legislators can respond accurately to constituent questions about pay stubs and which portion of an increase is state-funded.

Follow-up: committee members asked for specific district-level analyses of how state allotments translate into pay raises across systems and for communication language for constituents on what the state funds cover and what remains a local decision.