School Committee Discusses School Lunch Program and iPad Distribution

The School Committee meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 23 included discussions on school lunch programs and .

George LaCroix of Max Management Diagnostics, who serves as a food service consultant to the School Department, presented a summary of the 2010-2011 school year lunch program.  For the first time in recent years, the turned a modest profit on the school lunch program.  Notwithstanding debt from previous years, the lunch program ended the school year $45,000 in the black. LaCroix detailed that Burlington High School, Marshall Simonds Middle School and Francis Wyman elementary school enjoyed small profits while the three smaller elementary schools suffered minor losses.

“We just break even on the school lunch at $2.70 per student meal,” explained LaCroix. “A-la-carte and vending services are where the profits come in."

Without vending and a-la-carte items, the department would have ended the year with another loss. Therefore LaCroix requested and received board approval to raise the prices by $0.25 across the board.  Effective in September, the new pricing of lunches for grades K-8 will be $2.75 per meal. High school students will pay $3.00 per meal.

Craig Robinson, Director of Finance and Operations for the Burlington School Department, noted that due to the lack of a working kitchen at the for the first half of the 2011-2012 school year, the department may experience a lower level of participation in the lunch program at that school.

According to Robinson, the middle school will be offering a variety of cold sandwiches and salads and will bring in pizza from a local pizzeria.

“We will still meet all nutritional standards but we will not be serving a conventional hot lunch until January 2012,” said Robinson.

In a previous interview with Burlington Patch, LaCroix indicated that the kitchen may be out of service for the entire 2011-2012 school year meaning hot lunches would not be served at the middle school until September 2012.

The Committee also reviewed the new start and dismissal times for all six schools:

School

Start time

Dismissal time

7:30am

2:00pm

7:35am

1:55pm

8:10am

2:15pm

8:25am

2:30pm

8:35am

2:40pm

8:35am

2:40pm

Next, Burlington High School’s principal Patrick Larkin addressed the Committee with an update on the school’s .

According to Larkin, the school has thus far hosted 15 distribution sessions and met with 900 families.

“There’s no roadmap for distributing 1000-plus iPads,” said Larkin. “We are creating the roadmap.”

Larkin said that some parents seemed apprehensive.

“Some of them are a little overwhelmed, as their ability to use technology, they feel, is very limited, but in this day and age, they need to get on board,” said Larkin. “We’re going to support them with nights during the school year.”

School Superintendent Eric Conti explained to the Committee that the School Department is offering insurance for the iPads to parents of high school students. The insurance costs $39 per year and has a $50 deductible. Conti noted that the loss of a traditional text book would normally cost a parent at least $89.

“We recommend that they get the insurance,” agreed Larkin.

Finally, the School Committee announced three dates when the general public will have an opportunity to tour the new Memorial School.  A Grand Opening and ribbon cutting ceremony is planned for Thursday, Sept. 15. A community Open House is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 17 and the Burlington Rotary Club is sponsoring “Taste of Burlington” on Monday, Sept. 19.

The Open House on Sept. 17 will include a who gave their lives in service to our country. The plaque from the original Memorial School, which honors those who served during World War I and World War II, will be moved into the new building.  A new plaque honoring those who served in wars and conflicts since World War II will also be dedicated.