Vermont Standard
June 14, 2018
By Curt Peterson
Standard Correspondent
The Windsor Central Modified Unified Union School District Board voted unanimously Monday night to accept an in-house proposal to provide food services for all of the schools now combined in the consolidated district.
The projected cost will be $169,000, according to Richard Seaman, director of finance and operations.
Two other proposals from outside vendors were rejected by the WCMUUSD Board. The Abbey Group, of Enosberg Falls, bid $151,000. Fresh Picks Café, with an office in Manchester, NH, bid $154,000.
In spite of the almost 12-percent higher cost for the in-house proposal relative to The Abbey Group, Seaman said, “the numbers are very close.”
Seaman said he analyzed the numbers carefully to make sure the board was “comparing apples to apples,” and pointed out that the schools provide breakfast, as well as lunch, for many of the students.
More than a dozen members of the public, focused on the food service issue, packed the small conference room, but the topic was not controversial – everyone who spoke prefaced their remarks with support for the in-house proposal, presented by Gretchen Czaja, who will become director of food services. Czaja has been responsible for the food program at Woodstock Elementary School for some time.
Patrick Crowl, owner of Woodstock Farmer’s Market, applauded Czaja’s ambition.
“She has shown amazing initiative,” Crowl said. “The community should support her efforts.”
The board had approved a budget of $100,000 for food services – a reduction from $300,000 the combined schools had been spending on food services prior to consolidation. Seaman pointed out this creates a $50,000 $70,000 deficit in the budget.
Windsor Central Supervisory Union representative Pamela Fraser (Barnard), also supporting the in-house proposal, expressed concern about the budget deficit.
“This board voted to reduce food service costs by $200,000, and we failed to do so,” Fraser said. “By approving this proposal, are we saying that vote was meaningless? Who is going to be accountable to the taxpayers?”
WCMUUSD board member Matt Stover of Woodstock related the quality of food to education.
“At $300,000 a year, our per-student food service costs were the highest in the state,” Stover said. “The $200,000
savings in the budget was an ambitious goal – these proposals are the reality. It’s a concern, but quality food should bring better educational outcomes.”
Czaja said the kitchens will put only the best and local ingredients into the school meals as far as possible. With real-time technology, she will be able to monitor what goes into the meals at each school, and what it costs. And, with the meals, Czaja said, students will be educated every day about the importance of eating healthy foods.
Seaman said if more students’ families completed the “Free or Reduced Cost” meal subsidy eligibility form, there would be additional federal funding available to help offset the budget deficit. Participation in the program statewide is around 20 percent of students, but should probably be a lot higher, he said. The forms are available at the schools.
Board member Jim Haff of Killington, also in favor of Czaja’s proposed program, said nonetheless he is concerned about the exact job description for her new position as director, and the cost of technology required to oversee the network.
Board Chair Paige Hiller of Woodstock said Superintendent Mary Beth Banios will be designing Czaja’s job description and will submit it to the board for review in September.
Banios cautioned that educational programming should not suffer in any way in order to make up the food service deficit.
Bryce Sammel, WCSU representative from Barnard, added a point about the budget.
“I’d like to point out,” Sammel said, “that $200,000 is less than onehalf of one percent of our annual budget. It’s good that we’re having this discussion, but we shouldn’t be worried about making up the deficit – all budgets are subject to adjustments.”
By Curt Peterson
Standard Correspondent
The Windsor Central Modified Unified Union School District Board voted unanimously Monday night to accept an in-house proposal to provide food services for all of the schools now combined in the consolidated district.
The projected cost will be $169,000, according to Richard Seaman, director of finance and operations.
Two other proposals from outside vendors were rejected by the WCMUUSD Board. The Abbey Group, of Enosberg Falls, bid $151,000. Fresh Picks Café, with an office in Manchester, NH, bid $154,000.
In spite of the almost 12-percent higher cost for the in-house proposal relative to The Abbey Group, Seaman said, “the numbers are very close.”
Seaman said he analyzed the numbers carefully to make sure the board was “comparing apples to apples,” and pointed out that the schools provide breakfast, as well as lunch, for many of the students.
More than a dozen members of the public, focused on the food service issue, packed the small conference room, but the topic was not controversial – everyone who spoke prefaced their remarks with support for the in-house proposal, presented by Gretchen Czaja, who will become director of food services. Czaja has been responsible for the food program at Woodstock Elementary School for some time.
Patrick Crowl, owner of Woodstock Farmer’s Market, applauded Czaja’s ambition.
“She has shown amazing initiative,” Crowl said. “The community should support her efforts.”
The board had approved a budget of $100,000 for food services – a reduction from $300,000 the combined schools had been spending on food services prior to consolidation. Seaman pointed out this creates a $50,000 $70,000 deficit in the budget.
Windsor Central Supervisory Union representative Pamela Fraser (Barnard), also supporting the in-house proposal, expressed concern about the budget deficit.
“This board voted to reduce food service costs by $200,000, and we failed to do so,” Fraser said. “By approving this proposal, are we saying that vote was meaningless? Who is going to be accountable to the taxpayers?”
WCMUUSD board member Matt Stover of Woodstock related the quality of food to education.
“At $300,000 a year, our per-student food service costs were the highest in the state,” Stover said. “The $200,000
savings in the budget was an ambitious goal – these proposals are the reality. It’s a concern, but quality food should bring better educational outcomes.”
Czaja said the kitchens will put only the best and local ingredients into the school meals as far as possible. With real-time technology, she will be able to monitor what goes into the meals at each school, and what it costs. And, with the meals, Czaja said, students will be educated every day about the importance of eating healthy foods.
Seaman said if more students’ families completed the “Free or Reduced Cost” meal subsidy eligibility form, there would be additional federal funding available to help offset the budget deficit. Participation in the program statewide is around 20 percent of students, but should probably be a lot higher, he said. The forms are available at the schools.
Board member Jim Haff of Killington, also in favor of Czaja’s proposed program, said nonetheless he is concerned about the exact job description for her new position as director, and the cost of technology required to oversee the network.
Board Chair Paige Hiller of Woodstock said Superintendent Mary Beth Banios will be designing Czaja’s job description and will submit it to the board for review in September.
Banios cautioned that educational programming should not suffer in any way in order to make up the food service deficit.
Bryce Sammel, WCSU representative from Barnard, added a point about the budget.
“I’d like to point out,” Sammel said, “that $200,000 is less than onehalf of one percent of our annual budget. It’s good that we’re having this discussion, but we shouldn’t be worried about making up the deficit – all budgets are subject to adjustments.”
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