Manteca Unified may end breakfast service at all district high school campuses.
It is one impact of staffing decisions the school board will make when they meet tonight in response to a drop in both revenue and meal participation as well as changing challenges for education programs financed through Title I federal funds. The breakfast service elimination, if it occurs, would begin when the 2019-2020 school year starts in August.
The board will also decide on how they will go about replacing trustee Michael Seeyle who submitted his resignation last month. They also will discuss the issue of decorations on high school graduation caps during school commencement exercises. The board meets at 7 p.m. at the district office, 2271 W. Louise Ave.
Superintendent Clark Burke noted in order to keep nutritional services in line with revenue and expenses as well as to avoid tapping into general fund money that would take away from classroom funding a budget advisory committee consisting of board members, certificated and classified staff as well as California School Employee Association representatives have recommended consolidations within nutritional services and reorganizing staffing.
The consolidation recommendations include:
eliminating breakfast at Manteca, East Union, Sierra, Lathrop, and Weston Ranch high schools.
consolidating 11 production kitchens into six locations.
consolidating the meal periods at four high schools.
There has been a drop-off in students buying school lunches while at the same time the district is struggling to recover 100 percent of its lunch charges. By law the school district cannot deny a student a lunch even if they haven’t qualified for the free or reduced lunch program. They have had success at collecting lunch debt but it is not 100 percent.
Burke said every effort is being made to avoid classified employees losing jobs by taking advantage of openings created by attrition. That is determined by skill sets and other considerations. If bumping has to take place based on seniority and other reasons it will be under a process that was agreed to by the CSEA and district.
Changes in Title I positions being eliminated are designed to realign services funded with available federal dollars to meet the current needs of students.
The administration is recommending a reduction in services in program coordination in the kindergarten through eighth grade system as well as in the district level coordination of programs. Library services will also be consolidated while efficiencies will be implemented in the oversight of special education funding.
The decision will impact 33 full time equivalency positions.
Burke said no certificated staff will lose their job as they will either be shifted into new program positions designed to meet the current needs of students or will be able to be absorbed through attrition.
The full-time equivalency positions are K-8 site program coordinators, non-management district level coordinators, 6.8; coordinator of special education, 1; program specialist for special education, 1; preschool coordinator, 2; school nurse, 0.2; district librarian, 1; and teacher on special assignment, 1.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
