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operations follows up on Chappell’s remarks to the Board of Supervisors on Monday that he intends to cut the cafeteria losses. “We’ve seen too much of an increase in the deficit,” the superintendent told the supervisors. “We want to get that deficit down, hopefully to a break-even point.” Some cost-cutting steps have already been taken, including eliminating one full-time and two part-time job slots in food services.

The School Board, accepting Chappell’s recommendations, voted to raise some prices in the school cafeterias but not to increase the basic prices of student breakfasts and lunches. Prices will be raised for a la carte items- such as a piece of pizza or French fries-and for adult lunches served to teachers and staff.

The approved plan will hold basic student prices at $1 for breakfast and $1.50 for lunch in the elementary school, and $1.50 for breakfast and and $2 for lunch in the high school. Prices for a la carte items will be raised by 25 cents each-partly to encourage students to buy full meals instead of grazing on pizza and snacks.

Prices for lunches served to adults will increase to $2.75 from the previous $2.50. Chappell held out the possibility that student prices for breakfast and lunch meals may be raised during the school year if the steps being taken now fail to produce better financial results. “At least for the first few months of the school year,” prices to students will not increase, he said.

The high school cafeteria, renamed “Panther Cafe,” will be physically rearranged to cut down on student time waiting in line and to offer more “graband-go” selections. “Well try to make it a more attractive area much like you might see in a food court,” Chappell told the board.

The schools also plan to step up efforts