To the editor:

I’m sorry, but what a crock. Several years ago when the school district awarded the food service contract it was under the illusion that the district would be revenue neutral. The average price of lunch at $6 (The Record, April 27) is over the top and blaming it on labor is shameful. This has to rate as one of the highest cost per meal in the country for school lunches. This is a management issue pure and simple and falls squarely on the contractor, central office administration and board.

The contractor is paid a substantial management fee to lose money in our community while their U.K.-based parent company rakes it in to the tune of billions. And guess who foots the bill at the end of the day? Equally absurd is allowing the negative balances to reach their current level and then place the stigma on the student by providing them with an “alternative” lunch. There are many examples of healthy, nutritious and revenue positive school meal programs but staying with the old model is another example of why our school district is fractured and more and more families are voting with their feet.

Tom French

Langley