Daily Progress, Jacksonville, TX

Local News

Discussion

Add a comment on this story
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.

Text Only
Local News
Section Teases
LOCAL MAGAZINE
Community Calendar
Loading…
Events by eviesays.com
AP Video
Beryl Makes Landfall on Florida Coast Service Dogs Help Wash. Soldiers Battling PTSD Raw Video: Heckler Bursts in on Blair Testimony Japan Farmers Plant, Seek Radiation-free Rice UN Blames Syrian Forces for Shelling Houla Raw Video: Gay Protest Blocked in Moscow Vatican in Chaos After Butler Arrested for Leaks Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium 50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
Hyperlocal Search
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Popular Searches
Powered by Local.com