MOKANE, Mo. - The South Callaway R-2 District school board approved a five-cent increase in prices for breakfast, lunch and milk for the upcoming school year on Wednesday.
"Breakfast was $1.30 and it's gone up to $1.35, lunch was $2 and it has gone up to $2.05," Superintendent Kevin Hillman said. "At the high school level, it was a little higher. For adults and teachers, it went up to $1.60 for breakfast and $2.80 for lunch."
Hillman said the board has increased these prices once in the past five years.
"We will never look to make money in our meal program - we want to get it as close to a flat-line budget as we can," Hillman said. "We've made tremendous improvements in the amount of money that we were losing. About three to four years ago, we were losing over $100,000 in our lunch program. We've gotten that down to between $22,000 to $28,000, depending on the year.
"So, our deficit isn't as bad as it was, but it's a deficit that runs in the red every year."
The school board also approved its budget for the 2016-17 school year by a 6-1 vote. Revenues are expected to be $10.2 million and expenditures will be $10.6 million.
"Last year that (revenue) number was $11.7 million, so we know this past year, we lost $1.5 million," Hillman said. "We feel strongly that we can lower those expenses throughout the year. We've had a surplus budget for the last several years; with the change of our assessment, we now have a deficit budget and head into next year approving deficit spending in the budget. But we feel over the next couple of years, we can get that flat-lined."
Also during the meeting:
The school board approved to secure bids for fuel and milk for the 2016-17 school year.
The school board approved the OT/PT contract for the upcoming school year.
Class time for high school students will be increased from 48 minutes to 50 minutes. 15 minutes at the end of the day will be allotted for "focus time," which includes tutoring for students.
"It used to be 50 minute classes and went down to 48 to make more time for focus time. This year, they're switching it back and putting two minutes back in the class room," Hillman said.