School district charging minimal breakfast fees next year

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Maricopa Unified School District’s student breakfast program began in 1991 and has continued as a free service since then.

Next year, however, a minimal charge will be added for reduced fee and regular student breakfasts. Students on free food plans will not be affected.

According to Suzette Moe, child nutrition director for the district, “We are one of only three or four out of 90 districts in the state who don’t charge for breakfast.” She told board members at the April 14 meeting that, “Due to the increase in equipment, supplies and food costs, it was necessary to re-evaluate this philosophy.”

The focus of the breakfast program has always been to encourage children to eat a healthy breakfast as part of the food service’s wellness philosophy of promoting a healthy lifestyle for children.

This year 32,000 breakfasts were served during one month district wide. In January there was an $850 loss for the breakfast program alone. “We had to start looking at cost,” Moe said.

Governing board members approved (4-1) Moe’s proposal of adding a 10-cent charge for reduced price students and a 50-cent charge for full pay students to eat breakfast during the coming school year.

“Paying for food even with reimbursements is not always matching the cost of the meals,” Moe explained.

File photo