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Committee reviews school food service finances as fund balance nears DOE limit
Summary
The committee heard a detailed food service report: meal counts have risen in recent years, federal COVID funding created a temporary fund spike and the district’s food service fund balance (reported around $93,587 after encumbrances) is near the DOE three‑month operating limit, prompting monitoring and possible policy follow‑ups.
The House Budget Committee heard a detailed briefing on school food service on May 12, focusing on staffing, meal counts, funding sources and delinquent family balances.
The presenter described the cooperative model that splits food service operations across districts (Hollis ~26%, Brookline ~24%) and said each school is staffed by a head cook; Hollis Primary School has two food service workers and Hughes currently operates with one vacancy filled by a substitute. The presenter said the food service operation is essentially self‑funded but receives federal support through the National School Lunch Program and occasional USDA food assistance.
The presenter gave five‑year meal count figures: "In fiscal year '23, 59,602 lunches ... in FY '24, 62,762, and in FY '25, the last full year, 66,169 lunches." Breakfast counts were lower in FY23 (2,599), and the presenter noted an unexplained shift toward more upper‑elementary students taking breakfast.
On finances, the presenter said the program aims to carry roughly three months of operating costs in fund balance; a post‑COVID federal revenue surge in FY22 raised balances (the presenter described a prior spin‑down plan) and at the end of FY25 the program's carryover was reported around $116,000 when calculated on a 10‑month basis. The presenter also said the current projected fund balance, "$93,587," was calculated after encumbrances.
Committee members asked about price changes; the presenter said the district is considering a modest breakfast price adjustment (the last increase was around 2021) and described the state limits and rules that constrain the size and timing of price changes. The presenter explained most student purchases use account swipes through MySchoolBucks and that the district deploys automated email notices for low balances.
On unpaid family balances, the presenter said amounts vary widely — "some kids, it might be $20 ... and we have some students ... in the low thousands" — and described collection steps including automated emails, PowerSchool notifications, mailed invoices and the availability of payment plans. The presenter cautioned that if families later qualify for free and reduced meals, existing past‑due balances typically remain the responsibility of the family.
To boost participation and retention of staff, the presenter outlined strategies such as recruitment and HESSA negotiations, sample and international menu days, student feedback sessions called "Talk to Me Tuesdays," and social media outreach.
The committee did not adopt new food service policy at the meeting but asked staff to follow up on several data points and to provide clarifications on fund‑balance calculations and past adjustments.
