West Salem nutrition director warns of food‑service deficit and recommends holding prices steady

Emily Compton, director of school nutrition (speaker 8), told the board the district's food‑service program operates under strict federal rules and that participation—particularly at elementary schools—is the program's biggest challenge.

"We do have a negative balance currently that it's over $11,000," Compton said, adding that the program's projected fund balance is about $135,000, or roughly 10% of annual expenses. She told the board the district is projecting an estimated $60,000 loss for the 2025–26 year under current participation and pricing.

Compton outlined options staff had reviewed, including using a donation fund that helps families cover meal balances. She recommended keeping breakfast and lunch prices unchanged after modeling showed little additional profit from small increases; she also said staff will pursue measures to increase participation—especially at the elementary level—because adding 4K will expand the pool of eligible students next year.

Board members asked about categories included in the participation counts and whether offerings such as band camp or summer musical programs were counted; staff confirmed summer program attendance was included in the district's summer‑school numbers when they compile participation statistics.

Compton said the district uses HealthyCode software to ensure compliance with USDA nutrition standards and that direct certification helps automatically qualify families for free meals where state data match eligibility.

Provenance: The school nutrition presentation and budget figures were presented during the Board Reports section and discussed in Q&A with board members.

Speakers quoted are identified in the meeting record as Emily Compton (speaker 8) and other board members (functional labels).