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Board considers modest meal price increases as food-service program faces projected deficit
Summary
District staff projected a $69,205 deficit in the food-service fund and proposed modest increases — 25¢ breakfast and 20–25¢ lunch depending on grade level — which would reduce the shortfall to about $40,536; the board asked staff to return with final recommendations and comparative pricing.
District business staff told the board that, under current pricing and projected enrollment declines, the food-service program faces a projected $69,205 deficit next year if no action is taken. The administration modeled options that would raise school breakfast by 25¢ to $2.25 for K–12 and increase K–5 lunch from $3.05 to $3.25, middle school lunch to $3.55 and high school lunch to $3.75. Those changes, together with potential a la carte price adjustments, would reduce the projected deficit to about $40,536.
Speaker 10 said the district has a food-service fund reserve of $472,736 that could be used on a one-time basis to sustain operations while staff work through additional measures to close the remaining shortfall. The administration also noted a decline in USDA commodity reimbursements tied to lower participation since meals returned to paid status, and cited food and labor inflation as drivers of the gap.
Board members discussed several options including modest a la carte price increases (administration estimated district-wide annual a la carte sales of about $180,000 and suggested a 3–5% increase could yield several thousand dollars), outreach to families about free and reduced-price application options, and benchmarking with neighboring districts. Several members requested a final recommendation that shows comparative district pricing and the combined impact of the proposed meal and a la carte adjustments.
The board did not vote to adopt price changes at the meeting; members asked administration to return with a final recommendation and supporting comparative data.
