School system food service under review

By Staff
Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
A committee will be appointed soon to look into the lunchroom operations of Hartselle City Schools, the purpose being to find ways to make them more efficient and cost effective.
School Board Chairman Dr. Andy Dukes suggested the formation of such a committee at the June 12 board meeting. He raised concern about what he described as "a struggle to keep the dietary department operating in the black" and suggested that a committee might be able to come up with some ideas on what can be done to improve the bottom line.
Dukes said a school board member should serve on the committee, as well as representatives of the school's system's five lunchrooms. Board member Jennifer Sittason agreed to serve in that role.
"We're talking about losing teaching positions," Dukes said. "If they (committee members) can come up with some suggestions of how we can save money, we need to hear them."
Superintendent Dr. Mike Reed said only one of the five lunchrooms failed to operate in the black during the 2005-06 school year; however, he indicated that a $40,000 loss was incurred in the prior year.
"We made some changes that helped," he said. "If you look at everything, we're all right at this point but we'll move ahead with the committee. It should help us identify good, orderly ways to operate all of our cafeterias while keeping them self-supporting at the same time."