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As reported on Channel 10, RCS is cooking up savings
Increasing
juice and other costs are putting the squeeze on cafeteria funds
and prompting the RCS Food Services Department to become
ingenious when it comes to stretching the food dollar.
Food Services
Director George Dardani said this week that cost increases in
everything from cooking oil to lentils and milk has led to
creative uses of the district's food resources to ensure there
is no waste.
Creative uses of
leftovers, he said, is key. For example, yesterday's hamburger
patties could become today's taco meat or beef stew. Unused
spaghetti sauce, Dardani said, makes a great base for soup.
Additionally, bread that may no longer be fresh, may make great
croutons.
"It's all about
creating zero waste in the kitchen," said Dardani.
Food bills for the district’s approximately 2,300 students
have jumped 5 to 6 percent in the past year with some
individual product prices spiking at a much greater rate.
For example, Dardani said, cooking oil’s cost has increased
from $32.02 for six, 1 gallon jugs to $41.61 – a 30 percent
increase. Other product price increases include juice, which
has increased 39 percent, from $6.02 for 72 count packages
of 4 ounce containers to $8.42; and lentils, which has
increased 25 percent, up to $15.10 per 20 pound box.
In
addition, the district faces an average delivery surcharge
of $5 for each shipment. The surcharges have been imposed by
the suppliers to deal with the rising fuel costs, he said
There are no plans this school
year to increase the cost of meals, but Dardani said he will
meet with Interim Business Administrator Dennis Geisler this
summer to discuss the cafeteria's finances. Under state law,
school cafeterias must be self-funding and not draw funds
from a school district's general fund.
Presently, students pay $1.25
for breakfast and $1.75 for lunch. There has been only one
cost increase in food in the district in the last several
years.
If a price
increase is needed for next year, the Board of Education would
have the final say.
Dardani stresses
that there are no plans to reduce food quality or portions to
address the rising costs.
"We have a responsibility to ensure
our students receive a healthy meal and we will continue to
clear whatever hurdles are necessary to do so," said Dardani.
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