Pickett Forced To Raise Adult Meal Pricing Again

Pickett County Schools are raising the cost of adult meals from $4 to $4.99 due to a USDA mandate.

Director of Schools Diane Elder told the school board Monday that the requirement came after the department conducted a two-day audit focused on the district’s nutrition program. Elder said the USDA used an equation that adds the district’s meal reimbursement rate and a predetermined commodity value to find the minimum meal cost.

“It is still cheap,” Elder said. “We were talking about the prices, you know, if you go out here to any restaurant and you get a fish dinner, which is basically the same thing that we have in the cafeteria one time a month, you’re going to pay eleven, twelve dollars for what you get in the cafeteria.”

Elder said they cannot prevent the increase but the federal department still wanted the school board to officially approve the new rate. The board did not take action on the matter, as multiple board members said they oppose the change and it will take effect regardless of what they do.

“(The USDA employee) said, ‘You’ve got a choice,'” Elder said. “‘You can either vote for four ninety-nine or five dollars.’ That’s not much choice, is it?”

The board voted last month to raise the price for adult lunch prices less than what state and federal officials wanted, but it was not enough. Elder said Nutrition Supervisor Jessica Chambers sent the department a waiver asking to delay the increase until after the holidays but it was denied.

“I’m like you guys,” Elder said. “I had the attitude, and I still have the attitude, if our budget is sound in school nutrition then why should we raise the price on it?”

Elder said she has talked with other school systems in the area and they are in the same situation as Pickett County. Elder said she sent an email to every employee in the school system informing them all that this change is a state mandate and does not come from the board or central office.