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DeForest board hears food-service report as secondary meal participation lags and program shows deficit
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Summary
Food-service supervisor Becky Terry told the DeForest Area School District board that elementary participation remains strong while middle- and high-school participation trails, contributing to a year-to-date program deficit; the board pressed for follow-up data on meal debt and cost-per-meal calculations.
At its regular meeting, the De Forest Area School District Board of Education heard a detailed update on school food service from Becky Terry, the district’s food-service supervisor, who said elementary participation is strong but middle- and high-school participation remains low and is driving a program deficit.
Terry told the board the district’s overall lunch participation rate is roughly 46 percent and that Harvest Elementary’s participation is about 58 percent, while high‑school meal participation was reported at about 31 percent. She said federal reimbursement for a reimbursable meal is $4.69 and estimated per‑meal costs run “around $5.00–$5.05,” leaving a shortfall per meal that contributes to the program’s year‑to‑date deficit. Terry characterized the current deficit as about $150,000 year‑to‑date through February, and said the department has reduced that shortfall by about $40,000 compared with last year through cost‑management measures.
“We are doing a lot of creative things to increase participation — theme days, student surveys, and collaborations with the high‑school store — but middle school and high‑school remain our priorities for next year,” Terry said.
Board members pressed for clarification of the figures and calculations. One board member asked whether the $150,000 figure represented a daily, monthly or year‑to‑date shortfall; Terry said it was year‑to‑date through February and that April and May historically improve the position because of calendar and participation factors. The supervisor outlined how the district uses community donations to offset overdue student balances and described outreach and payment-plan options for families.
Terry also described operational constraints: food‑service staffing is tight (about 24 regular employees with roughly 50 absences a month reported this year), and a la carte sales — which are subject to Smart Snacks nutrition rules — have helped offset program revenue. She noted a la carte sales increased by about $300 per day this year after adding more hot‑sandwich options.
Board members asked for additional data to help policy decisions: a clearer line‑item accounting of meal debt, a more precise cost‑per‑meal study at each building, and a comparison with peer districts in Dane County. Terry agreed to provide a follow‑up report with itemized costs and a breakdown of meal‑debt balances for the board.
The board did not take formal action on food‑service policy at the meeting but thanked Terry for the report and directed staff to return with the requested details and potential options, including price adjustments, participation strategies, and staffing‑allocation analyses.
