The cafeteria in Richmond Regional High School is closed this year due to a budget deficit, according to school principal Kirk Robinson.
The decision was made by the school’s governing board, Robinson said, adding they had been following the situation closely for the past two years.
“That was the solution we came to,” Robinson said, explaining that cafeteria had been running an ongoing deficit for years.
Robinson said cafeteria users amounted to less than 10 per cent of the school’s student population, between 28-32 users per day, based on a weekly average.
Vending machines are available for students who want to buy food, according to Robinson.
“There’s no junk food,” he said, adding the contents of the vending machines are approved by nurses at the public health centre in town.
Robinson said the school considered keeping the cafeteria open if the deficit could be maintained at a maximum of $10 per student.
“It was more than that,” he said.
When asked about other options explored to have food available for students to purchase, Robinson said union rules prevented the cafeteria from being open right now. Beyond that, he preferred not to comment.
“I don’t want to go against the union,” he said.
Neither the Townships Regional Union of Support Staff nor the Eastern Townships School Board replied to The Record’s messages seeking further comment.
