Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Meals topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cafeteria director reports May surplus but year-to-date deficit; committee considers state waiver to delay lunch price increase
Summary
The cafeteria report showed a $41,000 surplus for May but a $24,472 year-to-date deficit; staff noted rising food and milk costs and said the district is eligible to file a state waiver by the end of June that could allow postponing a lunch-price increase while staff compiles regional price comparisons and labor projections.
The district's cafeteria presenter reported a May surplus of $41,000 but a year-to-date deficit of $24,472 and raised concerns about food and milk costs and a possibly skewed inventory count that may trigger a June adjustment. The presenter said the district recently received notice that it could file for a state waiver by the end of June that would allow the district to avoid an automatic lunch-price increase for now.
"We could file for that," the presenter said, noting the waiver request is due at month'end. Several committee members urged staff to gather comparative lunch prices from nearby districts and to review projected labor-cost increases (previously cited at about 2.5 percent) before deciding whether to raise prices or rely on a waiver. One member noted free breakfast expansion may increase participation and net revenue, but also increase operating costs, so staff should model net effects.
Committee members agreed staff should prepare the waiver application if appropriate and return with comparative pricing, labor projections, and a recommendation before the full board acts.
Why it matters: cafeteria pricing affects families and the district's food-service budget; the waiver process and possible incremental price changes have both financial and community-affordability consequences.
