Board hears food-service deficit and rising lunch debts; district subsidized meals with a roughly $801,000 transfer

Administrators told the Washington Township School District board that the food-service fund runs like a separate business but was supported by the general fund, including a transfer of about $801,000 last year to cover operations.

Janine said the food-service financials can look misleading midyear because salaries are encumbered early; after transfers the fund had a net operating deficit of roughly $479,000 absent the general-fund contribution. “Operating revenue is what they bring in when kids pay for their meals,” Janine said, and she described how federal and state nonoperating reimbursements interact with local payments.

Board members and residents flagged growing lunch debts. A committee member noted the district cannot deny breakfast or lunch to a child and described outreach efforts to collect arrears while working with families. “We can't deny giving a child lunch,” the committee member said, adding that staff are working with families and the payment vendor to provide earlier notifications.

Participants discussed vendor notifications, email alerts and policy changes to prevent large balances from accumulating; one resident described students with thousands of dollars in school lunch debt and suggested earlier parent alerts. Janine and staff recommended policy review and committee-level follow-up to assess whether write-offs, stronger notification or program changes are needed.

The district did not propose an immediate program elimination for athletics in response to food-service deficits but said food-service contributions and other operating pressures will factor into broader budget prioritization.

Board follow-up requested: a business-committee update with detailed food-service monthly reports, arrears totals and proposed policy changes.