Supply chain issues disrupted the foodservice industry during the 2021-2022 school year, leading to problems with Child Nutrition Programs. | CDC/Unsplash
Supply chain issues disrupted the foodservice industry during the 2021-2022 school year, leading to problems with Child Nutrition Programs. | CDC/Unsplash
Steve Bahn, outgoing superintendent of Willow Springs School District 108, recently said that the school district is facing rising costs for school meals and fuel.
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) acknowledged on its website that supply chain issues disrupted the foodservice industry during the 2021-2022 school year, leading to problems with Child Nutrition Programs. The agency noted that it is partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to try to help schools through meal program flexibilities, waivers and training resources.
"We've had a problem this year," Bahn said at a June 13 school board meeting posted on YouTube. "I think that will continue to be a problem. I think there's a supply chain problem across the board in multiple industries. I think food is one of them. The bigger issue is just the price has gone up really, really high. And so we've had to increase that budget as well. So I think it's going to be tough for food service know in the future. Thank goodness the reimbursement rate is still pretty good. So we're kind of getting it back. But yeah, I think being able to get it is one, but also just the price of food is going up, just like the price of fuel is going up. And so within the budget itself, on fuel, I had to increase numbers about $45,000...So I think it's just everything's going up right now."
Bahn noted in the video that this was his final meeting as superintendent.
Effective July 1, Dr. Marty Spence will take over as superintendent of schools for the Willow Springs School District, an Ozark Radio News report said.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics issued its latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report on June 10, which stated that the inflation rate stands at 8.6% for the last twelve-month period, the largest increase since 1981. Energy costs increased by 3.9% during the month of May and 34.6% over the last year. Food costs rose by 10.1% over the last year.
The average cost of a gallon of regular gas in Illinois has increased by more than $2 in the last year, data from the American Automobile Association (AAA) showed. In Cook County, the average price of gas was $5.83 per gallon as of June 30.
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