After years of running healthy surpluses, the student meal service for the East Baton Rouge Parish system has overspent its budget for a second year in a row while also generating less in federal reimbursement funds than it might have.
To erase last year’s red ink, the school system transferred $885,000 from its general operating fund to the Child Nutrition Program. This year, it is having to move even more money, almost $4.9 million, to avoid a deficit.
As a result, district financial reserves — known as its “unassigned fund balance” — will likely shrink by roughly 5%…