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Board reviews meal-fee options including 10¢ per lunch scenario to close small deficit
Summary
District finance staff presented meal-fee scenarios for 2026–27: leaving prices unchanged or adding 10¢ per lunch. Staff said a 10¢ increase could move a projected ~$4,000 deficit to a $5,452.99 surplus on the ~ $1,000,000 meal program budget; board requested more data on participation elasticity and reimbursement assumptions.
Jonathan (district staff) walked the board through the proposed student-fee schedule and meal-price options for 2026–27, describing the underlying cost assumptions and two explicit scenarios: no increase or a 10¢ per lunch increase.
"10¢, per meal for lunch," Jonathan said when laying out the board option. He explained the projection used a 4% food-cost inflation assumption and that, under that model, the program’s projected $4,000 deficit at current prices could shift to a projected $5,452.99 surplus if lunch increased by 10¢. Jonathan also said the district was working from an approximately $1,000,000 meal program budget and would continue to control costs and delay equipment replacement where possible.
Board members pressed for additional detail. A board member asked whether the district had data on how past price increases affected participation; staff said they would identify a method to estimate that effect and return with calculations. Staff also noted federal reimbursement indexing is handled through CPI assumptions and that final USDA reimbursement numbers will be available later.
No vote was taken; administrators offered to return with an option for action at the next meeting and to present participation‑impact estimates. The board asked staff to ensure families will be notified through existing channels should any fee change be approved.
