Buying Beverages and Bakery Help to Build a Better School
by Brittany Milite, BP News Editor
March 14, 2008
When putting money into the vending machines or buying snacks from the lunch line, one has the intention of purchasing the goods and may not have any conception of the benefits of their purchase. However, there are many benefits reaped when one buys a drink or snack at Berkshire.
The vending machines in the cafeteria, selling juices, water, and milk, not only support good health habits, but also help to support the cafeteria’s overall running and maintenance. “The profits from the juice machines mainly help to fund the lunch staff’s wages. Other than that, the money goes towards restocking the kitchen and materials needed to cook,” said Jenny Harrison, one of Berkshire’s cooks. However, the vending machines are not the only source of income for these needed items. The cafeteria also receives money from the government, as well as money from refreshments purchased in the Ala Carte lunch line. “The money earned from sales, which include Little Debbie products, chips, and other small items, goes towards replacing stock. Once a certain amount is bought, we order more and pay for it with the profit of those already sold. Again, with the left over profit, it goes towards funding the entire lunch staff’s wages and buying new items for the cafeteria,” said Harrison.
The vending machine located in the Teacher’s Lounge serves a different purpose. It appears that this machine would fund the faculty, but location does not play a role in where these profits go. Instead, the income goes towards financially supporting the students. “The money from these machines is maintained by the BEA, Berkshire’s Union. Jim Lester and I are volunteers of the BEA and help restock the machines and deposit the profits. The earnings are saved up in a bank account at Geauga Credit Union until the end of the school year when the money is counted and is awarded to students as scholarships,” said Joan Prots, a math teacher at Berkshire. The amount of income from this vending machine varies yearly, based on how much soda is sold. “On average, the machine earns about $1,250. After paying to restock the machines, we usually have enough to award two or three $500 scholarships at the end of the year,” said Jim Lester, another math teacher at Berkshire.
The pop machines in the lobby also help to financially support the students in a different way. “The Coca-Cola Company restocks the soda and takes the money. We are then sent a check from the company which is put into the Principal’s Activity Account. From there, the money is distributed towards students’ events such as the 4.0 Luncheon and the Perfect Attendance Breakfast,” said Principal Stephen Reedy. However, these lobby machines will be removed shortly. According to an article on Houston.net, Congress mandated that soda and sugary juices be removed from schools across the nation. “We will definitely lose some funds. As of now I do not know what we will do to fund the student programs,” said Reedy. Although the lobby vending machines will be removed, Lester said, “The vending machine in the Teacher’s Lounge will still be used. If we didn’t have it, we would lose a valuable source of school scholarships. It is very important to keep it.”
