That! November 11,2026 (Part Two)

This problem perhaps doesn't need an all-caps that but it is worrying. 

I was looking over some of the Board committee agendas. This particular item came from the Finance and Audit Committee from November 3, 2026. I may have to go back and see if I can listen to the discussion.

There was a presentation given by upper management on "Culinary Services and Transportation." 

The first item in the PowerPoint under Culinary Services is this:

SPS and the City are now using September and October actuals to refine the annual cost estimate, establish an accurate reimbursement methodology, and develop the contract amendment needed for continued implementation through the remainder of the 2026-2027 school year.

The next page is sobering:

51 City Funded Meal Sites

September Data

• Breakfast 2025 - 16,272

• Breakfast 2006 - 26,408

• Year over year increase: 62.3%

• Lunch 2025 - 97,703

• Lunch 2026 - 139,182

• Year over year increase: 45.3%

I'm guessing that the cost of living as well as some social services curtailed or cut could explain that huge increase. 

All the rest of the slides are about transportation and costs. Pages 9-15 lay out some scenarios to save money. 

I urge you to read these slides on transportation because time and again it is cited as one cost that the district is truly struggling with.

I think it's a little difficult to know if the district would save some transportation dollars with school closures and/or boundaries. I suspect for school closures there won't be any if SPS Transportation now has to bus some students to further away schools. 

But I suspect - just like with closures - that the district is likely to shrink available bus service especially for Option Schools. 

The last slide - without understanding the discussion - is confusing. It is entitled "Increasing Revenue" and it simply states:

State funding

• Strong collaboration with Special Education department on Safety Net expense submissions

Anybody?