Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Meals at West Valley schools will cost more

Rising food prices have struck again, forcing the West Valley School District to raise hot lunch prices to stay afloat.

“Food prices have just gone crazy,” said nutrition services and transportation director Brian Liberg.

The board of directors voted last week to raise elementary lunches from $2 to $2.10 and middle school and high school lunches from $2.25 to $2.60. Breakfast prices at all schools will increase from $1.15 to $1.40. Milk will go up to 60 cents from 50 cents.

Adding to the pain of rising prices is a reduction in the per meal subsidy from the federal government, which is going down to 19 cents per meal from 21 cents. It may not sound like a lot, but it will make a $12,000 dent in the annual budget, Liberg said.

For the 2006-07 school year the district spent $280,000 subsidizing nutrition services, which works out to about 30 percent of the total costs, Liberg said. “I’d like to get into 15 to 20 percent loss,” he said.

Final numbers for the subsidy paid in 2007-08 haven’t been completed yet, but are expected to be higher. “My numbers were up,” he said. “More kids ate this year.”

Liberg is also looking for ways to streamline operations and cut labor costs. He’s looking into a plan to coordinate menus with East Valley and Central Valley so the districts can all buy their food at the same time and get a volume discount. Liberg also said he plans to reduce the number of labor hours at the school. “Our labor percentage is fairly high,” he said. “I just got lucky with people retiring. We’re going to cut about 13 hours per day.”

The board had little discussion before approving the price increases. Board member Jim Williams put the issue forward for a vote. “I hate to be the one to make the motion, but it’s the sign of the times,” he said. The proposal passed unanimously.

The district will also be soliciting bids for fuel for the next school year soon, Liberg said. He noted that diesel increased from $2.83 per gallon in September 2007 to $4.65 per gallon last week. “It’s not going to be pretty.”