LIVERMORE FALLS — Even with RSU 73 directors agreeing to raise the price of fully paid meals for students, it still will not cover the cost to make the meals.
The cost of the free and reduced meals remained the same and money from the federal government helps cover the costs of those meals for students.
Prices rose for students who fully pay for the meals between 5 cents and 50 cents and in two cases, declined for students from Jay between 25 cents and a $1.
It turned out that the contracted service provider for the RSU 36 food service program had used some of the money received for the free and reduced meals to offset meal prices for students who fully paid for the meals, school board Chairwoman Denise Rodzen said this past week.
That is one reason why students who had attended RSU 36 schools will see a jump in their meal prices once school begins.
Another reason the prices needed to change was to bring the price closer to the cost of providing the meal, Superintendent Robert Wall said.
He passed out a spreadsheet showing a shortfall range of 21 cents to $1.32 between the real costs for making meals and the prices charged.
“The goal is to equal the cost per meal for the paid lunch,” he said.
The cost to prepare breakfast for students at the Jay Elementary School last year was $1.49. With the price rising to 75 cents this coming school year, there is a difference of 74 cents, according to Wall’s sheet.
Livermore Elementary School students will also pay 75 cents for breakfasts this year. The cost in 2010-11 to make the breakfasts was $2.07. Even with the 25-cent increase students will pay, it is still $1.32 less than what it costs to prepare it.
Lunch at the Jay Elementary School cost $2.80 to prepare last year and with the increase of 5 cents to make it $1.80, it is still $1 short of the preparation cost. Lunch at the Livermore Elementary School cost $2.21 to prepare last year and with an increase of 30 cents on to the price this year to make it $1.80, it still comes up 41 cents short of the cost.
The new prices of the meals, don’t cover the costs of preparing them at the other schools either.
The difference ranged from 21 cents to $1.07 that is not being covered by the prices students will be charged.
Schools must adjust the price of the meals to make up the difference in the meal cost, or provide local funding to make up the difference, Wall said. The new prices are a step closer to cover the meal cost, he said.
dperry@sunjournal.com
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