Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

School Board votes to raise meal costs

Gurdon School Board members Tuesday unanimously passed a rate hike for students not on free or reduced lunches, to be effective during the upcoming school year.

Superintendent Bobby Smithson, who said he only wanted food services to break even, said he regretfully advised the board to approve the needed increase.

"We have not had an increase on school meal since the 2001-2002 school year," Smithson said. "Our food service department had a deficit of $36,667 for the 2004-05 school year. We don't have a choice but to raise costs of all full-pay breakfasts and lunches. I recommend a 25-cent raise for lunches and breakfasts that are not part of a reduced or free lunch group."

Smithson told the board 70 percent of the Gurdon Public Schools student population is eligible and receiving free or reduced prices on school meals.

Those eligible for free or reduced prices on meals will not be effected by this price hike.

Gurdon High School Principal Leonard Gills said he strongly recommends parents fill out the paperwork for free or reduced meal prices "because the students who are eligible for this, due to reasonable income guidelines, will surprise you."

In specific, Gurdon Primary School full-price breakfast cost will go from 40 cents to 65 cents, with full-price student lunches on the elementary school level increasing from $1.25 to $1.50.

As for adult meals at GPS, the adult breakfast cost will go up from 50 cents to 75 cents, while the adult lunch, $1.75 to $2.

Considering Cabe Middle School and the GHS, full-price student breakfasts and lunches will go from 40 cents to 65 cents, and $1.40 to $1.65 respectively.

For adult breakfasts, on those two campuses, the price goes from 50 cents to 75 cents, with the adult lunch at high school and middle school going from $1.75 to $2.

"It would take more than charging 25 cents more to make up the entire deficit, but that is all I am proposing as far as a price increase this time," Smithson said.

The board gave its approval with regret, as members realize the hardship this will put on parents.

"The $36,667 deficit was a shock folks," Smithson said. "We really have no choice but to go up on meal costs."

Smithson listed the following reasons for last year's deficit: all cafeteria workers were given an 8 percent salary increase, increased time for workers in the high school cafeteria by 45 minutes due to block schedule at middle school, replaced hot water heater at primary school cafeteria for $6,000, employed food service director and extended her contract an additional month, and the price of food has increased due to the cost of fuel.

As to whether the costs of reduced meals will change this year, Smithson said although this 25-cent hike will not increase them, federal regulations set the actual cost for reduced breakfast and lunch. As of the school Board meeting, the new rates for 2005-06 are not available.

All cafeteria workers will receive a 3.1 percent cost of living increase, as mandated by state law.

As to the 25-cent raise for breakfast and lunch, Smithson's hand-outs said there will be around 34,000 meals served this coming school year, with a net revenue increase of $8,563.50 for the school because of this hike.

"I have no regrets in regard to how the lunch budget, or budget overall, turned out last year," Smithson said. "We were able to accomplish a lot of positive things. But for this coming year, we will have to tighten our belts."

Smithson said the state legislature has not given Arkansas schools the money to maintain previous school lifestyles.

"I personally think the legislature let us down. We have more required expenses and less money to work with," he said.