Milk will cost Colfax school district less, but bread and lunch prices increase
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — Although milk will cost the Colfax school district less in the 2023-2024 school year, bread prices have increased, and the cost of lunch and breakfast will increase too.
With bulk purchasing through the Cooperative Educational Service Agencies (CESAs), school districts are able to get a better pricing on milk and bread, said William C. Yingst Jr., district administrator, at the Colfax Board of Education’s May 15 meeting.
Milk prices will be less, but the cost of bread will increase, he said.
According to information provided to the school board, the milk prices from Kemps Milk Products Cooperative will decrease by 2.6 cents for 1 percent while milk, from 31.8 cents for eight ounces to 29.2 cents.
Skim milk will decrease from by 3.4 cents from 31.5 cents per eight ounces to 28.1 cents.
Chocolate skim milk will decrease by 3 cents from 32.4 per eight ounces to 29.4 cents.
Bread prices from Bimbo Bakeries will increase by $2.40 for a 24-count package of whole grain steak buns, from $4.80 to $7.20.
Whole grain Coney buns will increase by 44 cents for a 16-count package, from $3.20 to $3.64.
Whole grain hamburger buns will increase by 83 cents for a 30-count package, from $6.00 to $6.83.
Many things have increased in price, Yingst noted.
The Colfax school district spends less than $500 per month on bread and sandwich buns, he said.
The Colfax Board of Education unanimously accepted the milk bids from Kemps and the bread bids from Bimbo Bakeries.
Bimbo bakeries
School board member Ken Bork wondered, in an off-hand way, if the bakery should consider changing its name.
According to the company’s website, Bimbo Bakeries USA is a part of Grupo Bimbo, the world’s largest baking company with operations in 34 countries.
Bimbo Bakeries began in Mexico City in 1945.
“As we begin operations today, we want to communicate to the Mexican public that it will be our standard to always produce superior-quality products as we continually offer distributors and clients prompt, efficient service that the great metropolis — Mexico City — demands.” — Advertisement in the Excelsior Newspaper in December of 1945.
According to the company’s website, “The Grupo Bimbo company’s public image came from a portrayal of a bear cub that Jaime Jorba had designed for a Christmas card. His wife, Anita Mata, added the baker’s hat, the apron and a loaf under the Osito’s ‘arm.’ Alfonso Velasco fixed its nose. It’s the same Osito Bimbo that today characterizes Grupo Bimbo for tenderness, impeccable cleanliness and soft textures.”
Meal prices
Lunch prices will increase by 10 cents for breakfast, by 15 cents for lunch, and an extra lunch entree for grades 5 through 12 will cost 5 cents more.
Extra milk costs 45 cents per carton, and there will be no change to the cost for the 2023-2024 school year.
The cost of the food and the cost of the services is increasing, Yingst said.
The school district could have raised the prices by more, but Fund 50 (the food service fund) is doing well, and the increases are cost-of-living increases, he said.
According to information provided to the school board, the cost of elementary school and middle school/high school breakfast will increase from $1.50 to $1.60.
The cost of elementary school lunch will increase from $2.70 to $2.85.
The cost of middle school/high school lunch will increase from $2.85 to $3.
An extra entree for grades 5 to 12 will increase from $1.25 to $1.30.
The school district does not charge the extra entree fee for the younger students, Yingst noted.
Bjork asked if the adult lunch and breakfast prices would increase by 10 cents and 15 cents, too, and Yingst replied, “yes.”
Jaci Ackerlund, school board member, said as a parent, she appreciated the district’s breakfast and lunch programs and the quality and quantity of food served.
The Colfax Board of Education unanimously approved the increases for breakfast and lunch prices.
Other business
In other business, the Colfax Board of Education:
• As of May 10, Colfax High School had 13 juniors and seniors who have opted to take the Advanced Placement (AP) exam for the possibility of earning college credit. If the students earn the required score, they have the potential for earning three to four credits for biology and calculus.
• Learned that Colfax Elementary has 18 students who have read more than one million words in the Accelerated Reader program. Three students have read more than two million words, two students have read more than three million words, two students have read more than four million words, and one student has read more than five million words.
• Learned that for the myON reading program through Renaissance Learning, Colfax Elementary students have read 4,515 books and have spent 1,435 hours on the reading program.
• Learned that there are not yet any estimates on the open enrollment transfer amounts. The estimated amounts for the 2022-2023 school year are $8,224 for regular education and $13,076 for special education.
• Learned that the summer band schedule will be July 10 through July 14 for beginner band week when incoming fifth grade band students will have a daily half-hour lesson. From July 17 to August 11, students will have one lesson per week, including both incoming fifth and sixth grade students.
• Approved applications for 12 students to open enroll into the Colfax school district and 25 applications to open enroll out. Students can apply for more than one school district, but an application does not mean the student is enrolling in or out, and the final number will not be known until the third Friday in September pupil count, Yingst said.
• Approved Student Assurance Services Inc. as the student sports insurance provider for the 2023-2024 school year. The price did not increase again this year and is still at $6,000, Yingst said. Parents can purchase this insurance individually for their athletes, too, he said.
Following a closed session, the Colfax Board of Education:
• Accepted the resignation of Natasha Endl as an elementary special education teacher.
• Approved hiring Molly Sorensen as a middle school special education teacher.
• Approved hiring Elizabeth Tice as a reading specialist.
• Approved hiring Payton Schneider as the elementary art teacher.
• Approved hiring Kailey Strunk as a high school science teacher.