CLAREMONT — The School Board received a detailed report this week on the school lunch debt, now at $44,000 as of Jan. 2.
The report from Food Program Coordinator Danielle Skinner, which broke down the debt in each of the district’s schools, said the debt is owed by 590 accounts. Of those 590, 379 accounts that pay full price for meals owed $29,700.
One statistic in Skinner’s report said there are 142 accounts that owe about $33,000. Of that total, 54 were cleared to zero by donations applied to the 2017-18 school year and are now back up to owing more than $14,000.
Skinner told the board that repeated phone calls, emails, attempts at setting up payment plans and certified letters have not had the desired result of getting families to pay.
“Without consequences to get families to pay, the debt will continue to increase,” Skinner said.
Board member Jason Benware said he has read on social media suggestions that the school district should provide free lunch to everyone and he believes it is time to calculate the cost to taxpayers and put the question to voters.
“I am not necessarily in favor of it, but let’s put it out there,” Benware said, calling the requirement that schools provide lunch to all students, regardless of ability to pay, an unfunded mandate. “I want to see where the voters fall on this.”
Skinner said in response that if the district goes that route, it will be required, under state law, to budget for breakfast and lunch for all students, which currently equals $4.75 a day per student for 175 days.
Board member Mike Petrin said he wanted to take a close look at the contract with the meal provider, The Abbey Group, when it comes up for renewal at the end of the school year and thought it might be a good idea to go back to the school providing lunch.
“We would lose less money if we do it on our own,” Petrin said.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
