To tackle meal debt, Laconia students can now only charge school lunch, breakfast

LACONIA — The Laconia School District has a trend of increasing student meal debt, which the district ultimately pays for through its operating budget. To alleviate this, leaders have made various a la carte items only available for purchase with cash or debit card this school year.

This includes items like ice cream, chips, fruit snacks, sliced fruit, pudding parfaits, French fries, soda and other drinks. They can be purchased with cash only until Wednesday, Oct. 1, when debit will also become an option.

In 2023-24, there was a lunch debt of $50,000, which increased to $70,000 last year, according to Interim Superintendent Amy Hinds. Hinds, along with Business Administrator Diane Clary and Interim Assistant Superintendent Lisa Hinds, explained there is an anticipated fund balance at the end of the year to pay off the debt. Clary noted there are also individuals and organizations in the community who donate to the cause.

“We do the best that we can to budget this, but has been going up, so we want it to go the other direction,” Amy Hinds said.

The change in payment methods is intended to not only reduce the debt total, but also encourage families to sign up for free and reduced lunch, if they qualify.

“This is absolutely to reduce the overall debt for food service,” Amy Hinds said. “Like many schools, Laconia does not run in the positive, but we are working on that.”

Free and reduced lunch eligibility is based on several factors, Clary explained. She said if a family receives supplemental nutritional assistance benefits, they automatically qualify. The application is based on income, as well as the number of people in the household.

Students in Laconia use meal plan accounts through MealTime, where parents can deposit money to purchase school breakfast and lunch. Currently, the cost of breakfast is $2, and $3.75 for lunch.

Amy Hinds noted district leaders cannot speak with students in person about their negative balance as to not embarrass them, and instead need to talk directly with the parents. She said a tricky part about food service is the district is required to provide breakfast and lunch for students, even if their account is in the negative. While some accounts are negative by a few dollars, there were a small number who ended the school year behind by about $800.

Letters were sent out to families with negative balances to recoup some funds, which was successful. The letters included the amount owned, as well as a copy of the free and reduced lunch form to fill out.

Amy Hinds explained that during the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020 and 2021, students were able to receive free breakfast and lunch regardless of financial status. This presented a challenge after that was phased out, as families were used to not having to pay for their children to eat. Another challenge was having families remember to fill out the proper forms for free and reduced lunch.

“This is part of the reason why our debts are so high,” Amy Hinds said. “We don’t have the current paperwork on all the families who are eligible.”

At open houses this year, parents were introduced to apps to get into meal payment system. Clary has also created a “raffle,” where students can win free and reduced lunch as part of a drawing.

Prior to this school year, a la carte items could be purchased through the MealTime credit program, but this was driving up the debt balance, as there were families who couldn’t pay.

“We are separating that out to not compound the negative balance to the MealTime account, and it won’t be tied to the food service program at all,” Amy Hinds explained.

At Laconia High School on Monday, American chop suey was on the menu. This is Interim Principal Mike Boyle’s personal favorite, and seeing the looks on students’ faces grabbing their meal, it looked like it was a hit all around.

The meal came with garlic breadsticks, and students could choose a fruit and make a salad. If that didn’t tickle their fancy, other options were cobb chicken salad, turkey and cheese sub, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Meals for the rest of the week include General Gau’s chicken with seasoned brown rice, broccoli, and pineapple; burgers and baked beans; and pizza and a chicken and mashed potato bowl, which Kitchen Manager Angie Pouliot said has been a favorite. The items change week to week, providing a variety for students.

“A big concern with the public was that there weren’t enough options, but as you can see there are plenty of things they can get between regular food items and a la carte,” Boyle said.

Pouliot noted there is always one item in the a la carte area that counts as lunch, which on Monday was French bread pizza. Twelfth grader Mila Fallon took advantage of this, saying it's one of her favorites offered. Carter Jones, also in 12th grade, decided to go with the bread sticks and French fries.

Pouliot explained the menu is normally arranged about a month in advance. She can put it together based on what is popular, and with what U.S. Department of Agriculture items are in stock. The federal agency operates the national school lunch program.

“Once in a while, we are able to try out something new,” Pouliot said. “We have a lot of variety.”

Lisa Hinds said the a la carte items are great for students who want to grab a snack, like a yogurt or a pretzel.

Despite dealing with debt and how to pay for it, one thing was made clear: student wellness is the top priority.

“Our goal is to make sure all of our children are fed,” Amy Hinds said.