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June 14, 2008

Bullard ISD approves food bids

By Raymond Billy

rbilly@jacksonvilleprogress.com

The Bullard Independent School District Board of Trustees on Monday approved food expenditures for the 2008-2009 school year that will represent a 20 percent increase in spending overall.

Tonya McFarland, food services director for BISD, said she has been researching food prices since February. She said the vendors she submitted to the board gave the district the best deal for its money.

“The rising costs of food and fuel made spending more money unavoidable,” McFarland said. “There were no corners to be cut.”

Bullard ISD receives food bids through the Region VIII Education Service Center. McFarland said representatives from the district also attend several education cooperative meetings throughout the year to monitor price trends and look for cost-saving ideas. McFarland said half of the food items purchased by the district through commodities are processed foods.

McFarland explained that the district would have to pay some of the fuel expenses for food to be delivered.

“For some of our vendors, if we don’t order a certain amount of food, they’ll assess a surcharge on fuel,” she said.

McFarland, who is completing her first year as food services director for the district, said BISD would have to raise prices at its cafeterias to offset the impact on its budget. Breakfasts will go from $1 to $1.25 and à la carte items will go from $1.25 to $1.50.

“Obviously, it’s difficult to raise prices, but it’s something we have no choice but to do,” McFarland said.

Bullard schools will receive bread from Flowers Baking Company of Tyler. The company was used last year by the district for bread and has increased its prices by roughly 10 percent, from $1.02 for a loaf of bread to $1.12 a loaf. The second highest bid was from Mrs Baird’s Bakery Outlet in Longview, which bid $1.71 for a loaf of bread. Blue Bell Creameries in Longview will provide ice cream for the district.

Prices for food are soaring across the country, McFarland said, stressing that the challenge is not unique to Bullard.

“This is a national issue. Prices are going up everywhere and it was bound to impact us. We aren’t raising cafeteria prices for no reason,” McFarland said.

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