By Barbara Scott
Staff Writer
At the RSU 39 Board of Education meeting held Aug. 3 in the superintendent’s building, board members discussed at some length the need (and amount) to increase the cost of school lunches for the 2011-12 school year.
Faced with a mandatory USDA five cent minimum increase to be within the guidelines of the Healthy Hunger-free Kids Act of 2010, which established an “equity in school lunch pricing provision,” in which schools bridge the gap between funding received from the USDA for free or reduced lunches, school board members considered Frank McElwain, RSU 39 superintendent’s recommendation to increase the daily lunch cost by 10 cents across the board ( all three grade levels) and also directed questions to Louise Bray, director of food services for the local schools
This act pertains to school lunch only which, historically schools have tried to keep the costs at a minimum, however, according to Bray, “this act changed all of that.”
The USDA, through the federal government, reimburses school lunch programs for free/reduced lunches provided to students and also provides low or no cost commodity supplies to schools. Although it is up to the discretion of the individual school units, the total amount needed to bring the cost of free/reduced lunch re-imbursements in alignment with the cost of regular school lunches, a maximum at this time of 37 cents is necessary. Although the USDA has set no specific timeframe for the total amount to be absorbed, eventually it will become necessary to do so either in a lump sum or in individual increments. The last time the school lunch program was increased was for the 2007-08 school year.
Following a discussion during which board members voiced their concern regarding the impact of an increase on local families, McElwain remarked that the reason he recommended only 10 cent increase at this time was to try to keep the program balanced without putting more economic pressure on families with school- age children.
The RSU panel, voted in favor of a 15-cent increase with members Lynn McNeal and John Sjostedt in opposition. Sjostedt, a newcomer to the RSU 39 board of education, replaces former member David Strainge of Stockholm. At the end of his term, which fulfilled the initial RSU 39 two-year-term on the board, Strainge did not seek reelection. With no other Stockholm individual seeking the position, Sjostedt was appointed by the Stockholm selectmen and will serve one year of the three-year term, which will expire at the next municipal election. Sjostedt will also hold the vacant seat on the RSU policy, finance and building sub-committees.
Prior to the vote lunches at the elementary level were $1.70; middle school, $2.05 and at the high school $2.10. When classes resume later this month the cost of school lunch (this does not affect breakfast or any snacks) will be $1.85, elementary; $2.20, middle level and $2.25 at the high school.
Bray also informed the RSU members of other changes taking place within the food service program. “We are now doing much more, ’scratch cooking;’ we buy only whole grain breads/rolls and we recently have developed our own recipe to make oatmeal rolls. The kids love them and we just call them brown rolls,” stated Bray.
Other culinary changes include increasing the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables purchased and served to the students; purchasing from local farmers; the continuation of making homemade whole grain pizza dough and the improvement of being able to purchase favorite entrees such as chicken, now breaded with whole grain.
“We have also replaced much of our syrup, used with french toast sticks/pancakes, by adding a whipped topping, reducing the amount of syrup used; and we also use dipping sauces made with real fruit,” said Bray. “One of the biggest changes we have made is that we will be limiting the availability of flavored milk. Starting this year flavored milk will not be served in grades pre-K through five, and there will be no flavored milk available for breakfast at the Caribou Middle School or at the high school,” she added.
Monthly menus will also be back in service at the high school. Bray stated that students will still be able to select from a mainstay of favorite dishes but that many parents, as well as students themselves, had requested that a monthly menu be available.
The changes in the school lunch program, which serves 1,100 meals each day, only relates to the Caribou schools. According to McElwain and Bray, the food service program at the Limestone Community School, although a part of RSU 39, is contracted through the Maine School of Science and Math.
