The price is right

The food service department operates outside the district’s general fund, bringing in revenue through meal fees and reimbursements from the federal government. The daily prices for lunch — $2 for elementary school students and $3.25 for older kids — have held steady for five years.

About 130 of the district school sites offer free lunch to students regardless of their income, since a higher majority of the students are poor.

“What’s popular today may not be popular next month,” she said. “For kids, it’s pretty much the trends you see happening outside schools.”

A central service

The food service department is unlikely to be affected by the district’s current budget shortfall or the state-mandated reorganization.

In terms of budget, the department operates outside the district’s general fund — a common setup for school districts, since food service revenue is driven by fees and reimbursements from the federal government.

When it comes to the district reorganization, which aims to put more decision-making into the hands of principals and school communities, Wines said it’s likely schools will stick with the school district for meals. In theory, schools could eventually take the money spent on food services and hire an outside vendor to feed the masses.

“We have constant contact with school administrators,” Wines said, adding that the department places a premium on customer satisfaction. “We’re not the same as textbooks or services. There’s a lot of dynamics and nuances.”

Contact Meghin Delaney at 702383-0281 or mdelaney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Meghindelaney on Twitter.