The Newton School Committee has been discussing the possibility of outsourcing the food services program in an effort to reduce the school department’s $6 million deficit. Although the food program lost approximately $900,000 last year, we don’t think privatizing is the right way to recover this money. We say “right” because outsourcing may be effective in decreasing expenses, it may be effective in providing more funds for elective courses and educational materials, but these benefits are not worth the costs of stripping many cafeteria workers of their jobs, leaving them without income in one of the worst economic times since the Great Depression.
Not only would these workers be fending for themselves, but they would also be doing so with a skill-set that doesn’t transfer to most jobs.
Many say, however, that this is a sacrifice we must make in order to decrease Newton’s budget deficit, arguing that paying cafeteria workers less would make up the necessary funds that we have lost. Most full-time cafeteria workers, however, earn less than $20,000 a year while part-time workers earn $10,000, according to the Newton Public School Custodians Association. The association pointed out that in order to spend less on cafeteria workers’ salaries, Newton would have to pay the workers close to minimum wage and offer them no health benefits, something we find incompatible with the values of a public school system.
A public school has a responsibility to teach its students to respect everyone in the community. Privatizing the cafeteria would create a distance between the students and the people who work in the schools, undermining the moral responsibilities the school department has to its workers. If the school department expresses little responsibility and respect for its employees, how can students learn to respect all workers, regardless of their social standing?
The U.S. History curriculum includes units on the struggles surrounding the creation of labor unions and the benefits unions have brought to American workers over time. Privatizing the food program would certainly weaken the rights of cafeteria workers to maintain their union rights and collectively bargain for wages and benefits, which seems to contradict our school’s curriculum. If outsourced workers went on strike, they could be easily replaced. The school would simply find a new contractor.
Replacing employees, minimizing benefits and bringing in a private food service company seems like it would decrease the budget and therefore achieve the School Committee’s goal. From 1998 to 2004, however, Newton Public Schools contract with Chartwells to provide outsourced food ultimately failed when costs escalated, resulting in the decision to move to our current system in an attempt to save money. This fact must be examined further before any permanent changes or backward steps take effect.
While we understand that the solution to this budgetary crisis will be difficult to achieve, we propose that the School Committee consider other options instead of moving to an outsourced system. We could focus on increasing student participation in the breakfast and lunch programs by bringing in a wider variety of nutritious and appealing options. We could also find ways to improve the efficiency of our current staff; although laying off workers is never desirable, it would ultimately be less harmful than completely outsourcing the food program. The School Committee could also examine the entire budget again to potentially find ways to reduce other costs while preserving the jobs of the cafeteria workers.
We urge the School Committee to consider the consequences of valuing saved money instead of valuing workers in the school community. Schools are the one place where those in power should exhibit morality in their decision-making. You can’t always “teach” students to be moral, but your actions, whether or not you mean for them to, always set a strong example. And so of all the places to favor morals over business — even when difficult — schools should be first in line.
A decision against outsourcing would teach students lessons far more valuable than the lessons provided by an increase in funds. Money can’t buy everything, and certainly can’t pay for respect, responsibility and perspective.
