| Schools contend with unpaid school lunch bills
UNDATED (AP) - In Arkansas, as in other states, many public school districts are having problems picking up the tab for children who don't qualify for the federal school lunch program and whose parents don't send money with them to school for lunch. Last term, unpaid cafeteria charges in the Conway public schools, for instance, reached $14,000. By the end of the term, only about half of that had been collected. A food services group is looking for ways to resolve the ongoing problem for public schools in the state. Some want to merge the free-lunch and reduced-price programs. The Arkansas School Food Services Association says the state could pick up the cost, estimating an additional $3 million-a-year expense. (Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press.
Two food managers charged
Two former Prince William County school food services managers waived their rights to preliminary hearings on felony embezzlement charges Wednesday in Prince William General District Court. Valorie J. Penn, 57, of Lake Ridge, and Deborah Lee Halverson, 51, of Montclair, are charged with embezzling thousands of dollars from the schools where they worked. Both appeared in court Wednesday for preliminary hearings. In a preliminary hearing, the commonwealth must prove there is probable cause to pursue the charges for trial in Circuit Court. By waving their preliminary hearing rights, Halverson and Penn's charges will go to the October grand jury. If they are indicted Oct. 2, trials will be set in Circuit Court. Penn, who has worked at Lake Ridge Middle School since October 2000, is charged with taking $20,807.75 from the cafeteria, police and school officials said.
Retail food prices hit 17-year peak
Retail food prices have increased by 4.6 percent since January, making 2007 the priciest year for food since 1990.According to figures from the United States Department of Agriculture, the price of foods containing high amounts of protein have increased the most. The cost of beef has increased by 6.4 percent. Poultry is up 7.8 percent. But both are trumped by milk, which costs 9.5 percent more than it did at the beginning of the year.“It's unbelievable the prices, the percentages they've raised," said Lee Moran, director of food services at Conemaugh Township Area School District.Earlier this week, the school district raised lunch and a la carte menu items. Moran said the best a school can hope to do is break even on providing meals.A third of a pint of milk now costs 20 cents, Moran said.
NKSD, Hispanic community ‘hablan’ over dinner
POULSBO — North Kitsap School District board members, staff and teachers might not have been having a “conversacion en Español" last Thursday, but as far as the food was concerned, the area's Hispanic community was the talk of the town. Local Hispanic Americans celebrated the upcoming school year with NKSD personnel by showcasing their favorite ethnic dishes during a potluck at the district offices. The fine cuisine and friendly atmosphere brought about 60 people to the event. NKSD assistant director of Learning Support Services Dixie Husser was thrilled to see the community come together for the occasion. “This is a celebration of a new school year and a community get-together," she said. “Members of the Hispanic community provided food for this potluck. School board members and teachers were in attendance.
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