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District to begin swap from foam to compostable trays; administration to absorb first-year cost
Summary
Following public comment and internal review, administration said it will replace remaining foam cafeteria trays with compostable trays at the elementary and middle schools, absorbing an estimated first-year increase of roughly $30,000 in the proprietary food-service fund and ordering replacements immediately to use up current stock.
After public comment from parent and East Goshen Elementary HSA co-chair Julie Alcanera, the district’s food-services administration presented options for replacing non-compostable foam trays with compostable alternatives.
Officials said compostable trays are more expensive than the present foam trays but that replacing the remaining inventory would cost roughly $30,000 more on an annualized basis for the district’s food-service (proprietary) fund. Administration recommended finishing current foam inventory over the next two to three weeks and placing an order for compostable trays as soon as the order window opened; it said the first-year incremental cost would be absorbed in the cafeteria fund and that the business office would review meal-pricing and other budget implications during the annual review.
Committee members and parents discussed outreach to custodians and food-service staff and the potential for on-site or community composting programs. Administration said it has not identified grants likely to offset the shift and that local PTO/HSA offers of temporary subsidy are appreciated but not appropriate for ongoing operational expenses. The committee did not object to the administration’s recommended procurement plan.
