Aid won’t fund meals

DOWNTOWN — New federal stimulus aid for school food services departments will not help to cover statewide shortfalls in funding for free and reduced-price meals caused by growing demand during the economic downturn, local school officials said Wednesday.

State Supt. of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell announced Tuesday that new stimulus funds available for school food services departments will help officials serve the statewide 10% jump in discounted meal requests over last year, but they will only be able to use those funds to pay for equipment upgrades related to increased efficiency and sustainability.

That won’t help food services departments in the Glendale and Burbank unified school districts, where officials were not planning on updating equipment and instead had hoped to save as much as possible to cover shortfalls in state support, they said.

In Glendale Unified, where at least 70% of student populations at 10 different schools qualify for free and reduced-price meals, officials expect to lose as much as $700,000 because of the state’s cash shortage for the service. Burbank Unified, which has a small proportion of students receiving discounted meals, may lose up to $30,000.

The stimulus funds will not solve those problems, said Ralph Peschek, director of food services for Burbank Unified.

“It will not offset the revenue shortfall from the state,” he said of the funds for refrigerators, sinks and other cafeteria devices.

Officials in both districts plan to apply for the $12.8 million in stimulus aid available for food services equipment. They will take that step even though they have been reluctant to make similar purchases on their own since their ability to serve meals has become uncertain because of the state’s failure to pay its share of the meal costs, officials said.

Elementary school meals cost $2.75. The federal government subsidizes $2.57 for free meals and $2.17 for reduced-price meals.

The state helps cover 21 cents of every meal, and school districts make up for the remainder. Both districts expect to continue serving without changes or interruptions because they expected shortfalls, but extended gaps in funding could force them to alter their offerings, said Agnes Lally, director of food services for Glendale Unified.

“In the long term, if we continue to have a shortfall, there will be an effect in looking at the meals as to the choices of meals and the types of meals that we are going to be serving,” Lally said.

California is currently short about $17 million to pay for the meals, said Phyllis Bramson-Paul, director of nutrition services for the California Department of Education. Lawmakers are considering legislation that would authorize enough money to cover that gap, with O’Connell throwing his support behind the bill by Democratic Assemblyman Tom Torlakson of Martinez.

 ZAIN SHAUK covers education. He may be reached at (818) 637-3238 or by e-mail at zain.shauk@latimes.com.