Paly students could expect drastic changes in their cafeteria-bought food next year, with the school board considering a change from an al carte service to “grab and go” lunches, due to this year’s $600,000 deficit due to food services.

At Tuesday night’s school board meeting, the board considered the issues underlying the deficit as they debated whether or not to renew the contract of Chartwells, the company that currently provides food service to the district.

According to Jerry Matranga, the associate Superintendent, the lack of profitability is due to rising labor costs, which comprise more than 75% of total costs, the loss of the sale of candy, sodas and chips, which have high profit margins and the proximity of other food vendors at Town and Country.

Since the school board banned the sale of certain unhealthy foods, including soda, chips and candy on campus, sales have severely suffered.

Taylor Young, Vice-President of Chartwells said, “Whenever you change from selling sodas and chips and things of that effect, your sales are going to decline rapidly. But this is something we’re going to run in to, whatever we are doing the right way, whenever the lunch bells ring and a student walks across the street, they’re getting burgers and fries and sodas and wraps.”

Despite an increase in student participation in the lunch program at Paly, sales remain very low and are unable to make a profit.

“We have increased student participation to Paly by 300%, up to 7% [since 2004], but the situation is very tough,” said Young. “We need to change that mentality or that pattern [of buying food off campus]. We have to come up with more retail minded solutions to keep the kids on campus. The problem is, it’s not the trendy thing to do right now.”

Chartwells has proposed a plan to reduce the deficit by about $250,000 next year. Part of this plan includes raising food prices at elementary schools and increasing the number of pre-orders. Additionally, reducing food service at Paly to “grab and go” box lunches will cut costs by requiring fewer employees to work at the cafeteria.

“To have four people cooking for sixty kids just doesn’t work,” said Matranga. “Labor costs [for the district] are $6,000 per hour.”

If the school board renews Chartwells contract and passes the measure, Paly’s brunch food services would also be eliminated, according to Jeffery Hale, a Chartwells employee.

Chartwells contract with the district began in 2005, after the school board looked to improve the healthfulness and quality of food served within the district. In this time, the food service program has gone over $1.5 million into debt, according to district provided figures. However, according to Superintendent Mary Francis Callan, the district is “very happy” with the quality of food provided.

Board member Mandy Lowell expressed her desire for student participation in the issue.

“One issue is whether–under any type of food service– students will purchase meals on campus versus going across the street.” Lowell said. “It is crucial to hear student voices on this.”

Lowell also commented on PAUSD limits in distributing money and resources, “For me, this is not just a food issue. When the food service loses several hundred thousand dollars a year, that means money is going to the food program that could instead be going to technology, library books, the music program, and other more compelling needs.”