May 10, 2018 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Resource Management & Business Operations Committee Meeting

Key Points of the Briefing:

* CSDE requires annual certification by the Board of Education for participation in the Healthy Foods Certification Program

* In participating, Bethel can only serve beverages, foods, snacks and a la carte items that have been specifically approved by the CSDE. 

* For participation, the District receives and additional 10 cents reimbursement from the State on each meal served.  This is important to the financial success of our program which has always been self-sustaining.

* Raising student lunch prices a modest amount at all schools.  Elementary will be $2.90 insuring that the district meets the minimum required Paid Lunch Equity by the USDA and Middle School and High School will be $3.25.  All student lunch prices include milk.

* Raising all student school breakfast prices by $.05 to $2.30.

* Raising Adult meal prices in order to comply with CSDE guidelines. Adult breakfast will be $2.75 and Adult Lunch will be $4.00. Adult lunch prices do not include a beverage.

* Bethel’s prices are similar to other school districts in this area and across the state.

Summary of the Briefing:

1. To raise the school meal prices to cover increases in labor and food costs and continue to have the school lunch program run at or above break-even and to meet the USDA Paid Lunch Equity requirements.
2. To set the price for reduced priced breakfast at $0.00 instead of $0.30 for the year 2018-2019.This will continue to encourage participation in the breakfast program and insure that our neediest students are fed each morning.The cost to the board should be less than $2,000.This year we are on pace to serve 6,600 reduced-priced breakfasts.

Pursuant to Board of Education Policy, the following tuition rates for non-resident students attending Bethel Public Schools are recommended:

                                    2014/2015       2015/2016       2016/2017       2017/2018       % Increase

Elem/Middle                $12,165           $12,342           $12,543           $12,769           1.80%

High School                $14,035           $14,240           $14,472           $14,732           1.80%

These tuition rates do not include transportation.  Additionally, Special Education rates will be calculated as needed based on the costs of a specific program with related services.