Northfield child nutrition director warns of fund shortfall in proposed 2026–27 budget

Stephanie Stormy, the district's director of child nutrition, told the board on April 13 that the department is projecting roughly $3 million in revenue for 2026'27 and proposed $3.3 million in expenditures, leaving an ending fund balance of about $162,000.

Stormy said the program has served more than 60,900 breakfasts and 223,000 lunches through Jan. 31 of the current school year, and that participation trends vary by level: "at the elementary and middle schools, we have a very high percentage of students" taking meals, while high school participation is lower, she said.

The presentation flagged several financial pressures: higher vendor costs, supply-chain uncertainty and new tracking tied to Buy America requirements. Stormy described the program's reimbursement picture in two passages of the meeting: in the presentation she said the district is reimbursed "$4.70 for each meal" and that "the state gives us an additional 12.5 cents," which she summarized as "$4.82 per meal." In question-and-answer, a board member cited a separate figure for breakfast reimbursement, and Stormy confirmed breakfast reimbursement was "about $2.46." The board asked administration to use those figures cautiously in projections.

Stormy also said the program has used grant money and local sourcing to expand menu options: "we were able to use a lot of remaining grant funds to help support working with farmers," she said, naming regional suppliers the department has contracted. She described partnerships that let the district serve more regional beef and commodity-produce lines to meet Buy America tracking.

Board members pressed for operational detail on how breakfasts reach students who ride buses and about vegetarian options and supplier contract terms. Stormy said bus riders typically pick up a bagged breakfast in the cafeteria and that the district completed a recent RFP for primary distribution and expects to continue with its prior distributor under a multi-year arrangement. She said it is difficult to verify origin for some fresh produce week-to-week and that commodities and DoD funds help fill gaps.

What's next: The board received the budget presentation; the child nutrition fund will return for formal action at the May 11 meeting. Administration said it will continue to monitor participation and to update projections when state and federal reimbursement rates are announced this summer.