Cost of meals decreases at Pied Piper
Crystal NelsonStudents attending Pied Piper Opportunity Center will see a decrease in the cost of meals for the 2009-10 school year. The Alpena Montmorency Alcona Board of Education approved the set student meal prices at its July meeting.
Superintendent Brian Wilmot said the AMA ESD entered into a contractual agreement with Alpena Public Schools in June. He said APS provides food in the program and began for students enrolled in Pied Piper's Summer Program on July 7.
In the new program, the cost of meals for a student who does not receive them reduced will change from $1.50 to $1 for breakfast and remain at $2.25 for lunch.
The federal government sets the price of reduced meals, which applies to about 60 percent of the school's students, at 30 cents for breakfast and 40 cents for lunch.
Adult prices will be confirmed later by APS but are expected to be at $1.75 for breakfast and $3.25 for lunch with most staff purchasing items from the "adult choices/a la carte" menu.
Wilmot said the state legislature mandates that intermediate school cistricts look for areas of poor efficiency and find ways to consolidate services to save taxpayer money.
"When we reviewed our food service program we were not very efficient, not very cost effective in there. So this program will save us in the neighborhood of $35,000 a year by contracting with Alpena Public Schools," he said.
Crystal Nelson can be reached via e-mail at cnelson@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5693.
