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Slight increase in PSS meal vendor reimbursement OK’d
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Posted on Sep 08 2011
Meal vendors servicing public schools on Saipan, Rota, and Tinian will receive a slight adjustment in their reimbursement after the Board of Education approved a 5-cent increase in lunch prices effective this school year.
Public School System federal programs officer Tim Thornburgh described the adjustment as “a modest increase” in consideration of the rise in fuel costs and other commodities.
“It’s the most we could do, given the amount of money that the program [Food and Nutrition Services] received in federal grants and reimbursement,” Thornburgh said.
For fiscal year 2012, the U.S. Department of Agriculture gave PSS $9.52 million in Nutrition Assistance Program grant. This is an increase of about $500,000 compared to the $9 million assistance provided in fiscal year 2011.
The meal program includes breakfast, lunch, and snacks for 13,300 students in 20 public schools; students in 32 private schools; and kids enrolled in 10 Head Start centers. Over four million meals will be distributed to schoolchildren this new school year.
According to Dale Roberts, PSS food and nutrition program manager, current lunch prices for Saipan schools are: $2.15, Head Start; $2.85, elementary schools; and $3.40, high schools. These lunch meal prices will go up by 5 cents each.
The same 5-cent increase will be accorded meal vendors for Rota and Tinian schools, which have slightly higher meal costs.
As of yesterday, Roberts said his office has yet to be notified about the board’s decision but assured that the adjustment will take effect retroactively once the board approves the increase.
PSS has seven meal vendors: Herman’s Bakery, Barny’s Pizza, LSG Sky Chef, Auntie Mag’s, MV Reyes, Kalayaan, and Songao Enterprises.
Although PSS remains without a nutritionist, Roberts assured that the vacancy is not impacting the program’s operation. He said the new school year’s menu was finalized and prepared even before former nutritionist Hee Jae Lee resigned in July.
Roberts revealed that about 75 to 80 percent of the menu this school year is similar to the previous year’s.
