Mr. Bondi presented the district cafeteria’s November financial report and participation data.

He reported the cafeteria’s November loss as $33,835 and said the program currently has a year-to-date deficit of $59,210. Participation at elementary schools was 21.5% for breakfast and 47.5% for lunch; middle schools showed 8.6% breakfast participation and 55% lunch. Mr. Bondi gave overall participation figures of about 14.7% for breakfast and 48.6% for lunch districtwide.

Bondi warned that December was “not looking very good” because many students had been absent recently due to an illness circulating in the community, and he said higher food and labor costs have added pressure to the program. He suggested state reimbursements and timing of grants could affect final results for the year.

What’s next: Staff will monitor December results and state reimbursement schedules; the committee asked clarifying questions but did not take formal action on the cafeteria report.