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In sagging economy, schools fall on harder times |
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Monday, 18 August 2008 |
Cutting bus routes, raising lunch prices just some ways schools are coping
Today is the first day of school for Saline County schools, and with the usual business and jitters that come with the start of a new academic year, schools also are dealing with the cost of higher fuel and food prices.
To combat higher food prices, several local school districts have raised their lunch prices.
“Our higher prices are due to the rising food costs,” said Mary Nehus, child nutrition coordinator for the Benton School District. “We wouldn’t do it for any other reason.”
For Benton, elementary breakfast has risen from $1 to $1.25 and lunch from $1.50 to $1.75. For the middle, junior high and high schools, breakfast has risen from $1 to $1.25 and lunch from $1.75 to $2. Adult prices have risen from $2.25 to $2.50.
One thing that’s contributing to the higher costs is food vendors now charge a surcharge for fuel due to the higher gas prices, Nehus added.
For the Bryant School District, breakfast for all students has risen from $1 to $1.25, and adult breakfast has increased from $1.25 to $1.50.
Lunch for elementary students has risen from $1.65 to $1.90. Secondary students now pay $2 compared to $1.75 last school year.
Adult lunches have increased from $2.30 to $2.55.
After-school snacks have gone from 60 cents to 75 cents.
Prices in the Bauxite School District have risen by 15 cents for breakfast prices and 25 cents for lunch. At Pine Haven Elementary School, students pay $1.15 for breakfast and $1.75 for lunch. Secondary students pay $1.75 for breakfast and $2 for lunch.
Brenda Torres, nutrition director, said dietary guidelines are calling for more whole grains and more fresh vegetables and fruits. Prices have increased to meet those needs and to accommodate for the higher price of food, she said.
Prices also have risen in other parts of the country, but the higher prices are having other effects, too.
In rural Minnesota, one district is skipping classes every Monday to save fuel. On the other days, classes will be about 10 minutes longer.
A shorter week will save at least $65,000 in fuel, superintendent Greg Schmidt said.
Nationwide, at least 14 other districts are switching to four-day weeks, and dozens more are considering it, according to a recent survey by the American Association of School Administrators.
About 100 districts made the switch years ago, in many cases because of the 1970s oil crisis.
No Saline County schools have shortened their school weeks. But they are looking at other ways to cut back on fuel costs.
At Bauxite, Superintendent Mickey Billingsley said field trips will have to be limited to nearby destinations because of higher fuel prices. For athletic events, Billinglsey said coaches and other staff have done a good job of car pooling and filling each bus used. He added that the district makes sure not to “send a half-empty bus anywhere.”
The district still picks up students it needs to in the district, but it may not stop at every house as has been the case in previous years, Billingsley said. Students may have to walk to the end of their road, he said.
Despite the higher fuel prices, Saline County school officials have indicated that they won’t stop running buses. Tom Farmer, transportation director at Bryant, said whatever the cost of fuel, the school is “committed” to get students to school.
Still, districts nationwide are trying hard to squeeze every drop of savings from buses and through energy conservation to avoid more drastic cuts in sports, activities or even classes. Schools are also cutting staff, in most cases eliminating positions that are vacant.
All these cutbacks may seem tough, but to economist Brian Bethune at the private forecasting firm Global Insight, it’s about time.
Only about half of all school kids ride the bus to school. Some walk or pedal bikes, but plenty ride to school in a car with their parents. In an era of high gas prices with no end in sight, Bethune says people need to change.
“I think if parents are going to drive their kids to school and not use bus service that’s already available, that creates problems,” Bethune said. “Those choices have to be revisited, just like everywhere else.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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 |  |  |  |  | Just being with family and eating good food is the best part!!- Liz McGee Quantz (Haskell, AR)
The Mabelvale United Methodist Church in Mabelvale, AR will
be hosting a fall carnival on Sunday evening October 26th from 5 to 7pm in the
Fellowship Hall. Kids will love it, parents will too! - Roger Poole (Bryant, AR)
I make an awesome Pina Colda Cake. You buy a boxed yellow
cake mix and mix it and bake it per the instructions on the box. After you bake the
cake allow it to cool for about 15 minutes. Use the end of a wooden spoon to poke
medium size holes all in the cake. Take a can of Eagle Brand Milk and Cream of
Coconut and alternate pouring them into the holes. Place the cake in the fridge for
about one hour, remove and put Cool Whip on top, as much or as little as you like.
The cake is better if you let it sit all night in the fridge before eatting. It is
wonderful!!! - Kelly Chase (Alexander, AK)
My favorite memories of Thanksgiving were when we lived in
Tulsa, Ok. There were always folks that didn't have a place to go for the holiday-
so they wound up at our house along with most of my husband's family from Benton.
The house was packed. The Thanksgiving meal was wonderful. But the celebration
didn't end there. At night, all weekend, there were pallets spread throughout the
house and the good eats seemed to never end. And on Friday morning (after
Thanksgiving) all the females were up before dawn and Christmas shopping by 8:00
a.m. Those are memories that I will cherish forever. - Billie Loe (Texas)
I always get to make the turkey for our Thanksgiving. So
you can add more butter or flour for consistency. Wash your turkey, pat dry, take
another stick of butter and rub all over turkey. Then take with your hands and smear
the batter a little thick, all over the turkey. Once all of the turkey has the
batter on it, I will melt the another bar of butter and put it in the bottom of the
pan of my turkey. It will make a wonderful gravy to use on your turkey when done.
So, then get enough aluminum foil to make a "tent" over your turkey. Put in oven and
bake @ 375 all night. It will be so moist, the crispies are great and the gravy
makes it better. Now the flip side to this is, it will be so tender it will fall apart.
So, I do not serve as a whole turkey. I go ahead and slice up, pour some grave
over some of the sliced up turkey for those who like it and then slice up some
turkey without gravy. You will have many compliments on this. Happy Thanksgiving
and Enjoy! - Liz Johnson (Benton) We prepare a traditional Thanksgiving dinner that morning.
Then we pack it all up and travel to deer camp in South Arkansas. We serve dinner to
all those who don't have family with which to share. We'll spend the afternoon
playin' dominos, pitchin' horseshoes and just visitin'. It's a wonderful time. - Pat Stuckey (Bismarck) We invite all the family in and cook the traditional feast.
Everyone gets silly when they get full. That is entertaining. - Jim Perry (Benton) Frozen pizza - Greg Marsh (Medicine Hat) The whole family gets together and we have dinner and noon
visit for a while then go home to take naps and get ready for black friday sales! - Terrie Schulz (Benton)
My childhood memories are of the sumptuous dinners my
grandfather, Byron Yarbrough, Sr. would prepare. Family members came from all over
Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas to our home of South East Street. It was a wondeful
time I really didn't learn to appreciate until he and my grandmother passed away.
Later, my cousin Eleen Murray brought the tradition back and family members gathered
at their home near Lake Norrell. Today, it's the memories of
Thanksgivings past that I treasure. It was because of these gatherings that I came
to realize the importance of family. - David Hughes (Herndon, VA)
My favorite time of remembering Thanksgiving is when all of
my family would get together and enjoy the most wonderful feast I have ever tasted.
My mom would make at least 2 to 3 different stuffings, actually her and my sister
Tammy Parker(Schultz) would make everything. I am not quite the chef my mom and
sister are. I live now and have lived for most of my life away from home in
different states so I have tasted many other dishes. None can compare to my
mom's(Pat Brumley). But most of all it is the family being altogether and just
laughing and having fun. My husband experienced this tradition for the first time in
1999 and still to this day can not stop talking about it. His traditions were not
the same. He couldn't believe the amount of food, fun, and family we had for the
holidays. I didn't understand it because I am used to it always being that way. I am
very lucky to have the family I have. My ex-step dad (David Hughes) still treats me
and my sister like his own so I have extended family to share the holidays with too. Even if it
is just a phone call, prayer, or written. I sure so miss Benton. I was raised
there and even though I am in Hoosier state since 2001 I let everybody know I am
proud to be a Razorback. I will never be anything else. God bless everyone in
Benton and someday I hope to see you soon. - Debbie Brooks (Schultz) (Columbus, IN) |
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