Of the 28 employees involved in the cafeteria operation, all but about two work part time and are employed by the district, said Dan Solomon, district business manager.
They work limited hours during the 180 days of the school year.
The district uses ARAMARK as its food service manager.
Food for the students, Solomon said, is prepared at the high school and middle school daily and then distributed to the elementary centers. As district employees and not ARAMARK, the employees are eligible for state retirement benefits.
Solomon said food service offered to the students is not a profit-making enterprise for the district.
"We're here to break even, not to make money," he said.
Costs increased during the past school year because of numerous factors, including rises in transportation costs, jumps in food prices, a reduction in food subsidies and the elimination of sales of extra food such as soft drinks and ice cream.
The new contract expires in 2012 and was negotiated with the Peters Township Education Support Personnel Association Cafeteria Employees.