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District food service revamped, budget back on track

By
Mavis Fodness

Luverne School District’s food service program is back on track, thanks to student input and federal funding.
Food service director Ann Rigney updated School Board members at their April 28 meeting about progress since the school year began.
She said student council members have offered ways to streamline lunch offerings, and the students meanwhile learned how the district receives reimbursement dollars.
“Mrs. Rigney and her staff have taken the never-ending suggestions from the student council,” said council vice president Brooklynn Ver Steeg.
“It has definitely been appreciated — they know you have been working hard.”
An audit released in December showed the district’s food service budget started the school year with a $17,841 deficit.
Business manager Tyler Reisch projected the deficit would grow due to a federal mandate that stipulated free meals for students due to the pandemic. The mandate, however, didn’t sufficiently cover meal costs.
Since then, Reisch said, funding increased, and the food service budget is now $5,000 in the black with less than a month left to the school year.
“Ann has done a great job,” he said. “We are not going in the hole quite yet — we are keeping a close eye on it.”
Rigney said her staff serves an average of 400 federally reimbursed meals daily, an increase of about 100 students over the previous year.
The increase is due to the School Board’s decision to close the open lunch hour for freshman and sophomore students.
In addition to the reimbursed meals (which are free to students), the new commons and kitchen area allowed Rigney to add an a la carte service option of grab and go lunch items, which the students purchase.
Rigney said she’s been frugal in her selection of all food items.
“I have a certain price I would like to stay under for the price per plate per day,” she said. “It is hard to do right now.”
Prices are increasing.
The most recent offering of chicken strips jumped $60 per case (165 servings) in one month and a case of napkins increased $20.
“It is not just a little jump, it is a big jump,” Rigney said.
Prices are expected to continue increasing, and the free meal mandate expires after this school year.
“I would say the revenue we are getting currently — we would love to see the free lunch continue — we are keeping up with expenditures,” Reisch said.

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