School Districts Cut Chocolate Milk to Balance Budgets

Legacy automated check: the original source text was not preserved. These earlier verdicts have not passed the current publication checks and may contain errors. Source: original document ↗

• ✓
  Mount Vernon School District will eliminate chocolate milk for students next year“Next year, Mount Vernon School District students will be drinking plain milk, as chocolate milk was just one cut in a massive reduction in expenses to attempt to balance its budget.”
• ✓
  Mount Vernon School District is doing this as part of budget cuts to address financial strain“Mount Vernon School District students will be drinking plain milk, as chocolate milk was just one cut in a massive reduction in expenses to attempt to balance its budget.”
• ✓
  School districts in Whatcom and Skagit counties are struggling to balance budgets“School districts in Whatcom and Skagit counties faced challenging budgets again this year, as they continue to reckon with rising costs. ( Finn Wendt /Cascadia Daily News) The state of regional school budgets could be summed up in a single line item: chocolate milk, $75,000.  Next year, Mount Vernon School District students will be drinking plain milk, as chocolate milk was just one cut in a massive reduction in expenses to attempt to balance its budget.  Mount Vernon isn’t alone; most districts in Northwest Washington face financial challenges and staff are combing through expenses to find places to save money.”
• ✓
  School districts in Whatcom and Skagit counties are struggling to balance budgets amid rising operational costs“School districts in Whatcom and Skagit counties faced challenging budgets again this year, as they continue to reckon with rising costs.”
• ✓
  School districts in Whatcom and Skagit counties are struggling to balance budgets amid declining student enrollment“School districts in Whatcom and Skagit counties faced challenging budgets again this year, as they continue to reckon with rising costs. ( Finn Wendt /Cascadia Daily News) The state of regional school budgets could be summed up in a single line item: chocolate milk, $75,000.  Next year, Mount Vernon School District students will be drinking plain milk, as chocolate milk was just one cut in a massive reduction in expenses to attempt to balance its budget.  Mount Vernon isn’t alone; most districts in Northwest Washington face financial challenges and staff are combing through expenses to find places to save money. Districts continue to battle two major factors making it harder to balance their budgets: Costs to operate keep increasing, and student enrollment, on the whole, continues to decline.”
• ✓
  According to Cascadia Daily News, school districts in Whatcom and Skagit counties are struggling to balance budgets“School districts in Whatcom and Skagit counties faced challenging budgets again this year, as they continue to reckon with rising costs. ( Finn Wendt /Cascadia Daily News)”
• ✓
  The state's funding model ties money to student numbers“State funding follows the student, the loss of one student means the loss of thousands of dollars.”
• ⚠
  Losing students equates to losing thousands of dollars in revenueNo usable supporting receipt — unverified.
• ✓
  Meridian School District faces a 24% rise in fuel costs“a 24% increase in fuel costs, and a 27% increase in food costs.”
• ✓
  Meridian School District faces a 27% jump in food expenses“a 27% increase in food costs.”
• ✓
  Meridian School District faces a 48% increase in liability insurance“Meridian School District is expecting a 48% increase to its liability insurance rates (all districts are seeing a bump in these costs )”
• ⚠
  Districts are reviewing all expenses to maintain healthy reserve fundsNo usable supporting receipt — unverified.
• ⚠
  Many districts are implementing cost-saving measures like eliminating chocolate milkNo usable supporting receipt — unverified.