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Board approves modest meal price increase and renews nutrition vendor contracts
Summary
The board approved a five-cent across-the-board increase to student meal prices for 2026–27 and renewed contracts with PepsiCo, Prairie Farms, Cole Wholesale and several disposable goods vendors; staff said USDA free-rate guidance and CPI informed the recommendation.
The Ft. Zumwalt R-II board approved a modest five-cent increase to school meal prices for the 2026–27 school year and renewed contracts with multiple nutrition vendors.
Paul Becker, director of student nutrition services, said USDA free-rate guidance lists $4.69 as a reference but noted the district meets local meal standards and is not constrained to that figure. Becker proposed a five‑cent increase across categories to account for a 2.7% food CPI change and staff pay increases: elementary breakfast $2.20, elementary lunch $3.20, secondary breakfast $2.20, secondary lunch $3.30, adult breakfast $2.35 and adult lunch $4.45 for 2026–27. The board approved the meal pricing by voice vote.
Becker also recommended renewing several vendor contracts for 2026–27: PepsiCo as beverage distributor (weekly secondary deliveries and use of some refrigerators), Prairie Farms for milk (daily deliveries), Cole Wholesale as the grocery distributor, and a line‑item bid approach for disposable goods (lowest suppliers listed in the bid included Cole Wholesale, Imperial Dade, Bremnar and Wallace Packaging). Becker explained margins are tight in school food service and longer-term bids help vendors justify equipment investments such as refrigerated trucks.
Board members approved the meal prices and vendor renewals by voice vote.
