DIXFIELD — The Regional School Unit 10 board learned Monday that Mountain Valley and Spruce Mountain high schools have challenged each other to collect the most food for donation to the Good Shepherd Food-Bank.

The board also heard an update of the new method used for cooking and distributing breakfasts and lunches to the the district’s 10 school buildings.

Junior J.T. Greene and senior Caleb Gauvin outlined the food competition at Monday’s meeting, ending with several board members donating money to the cause.

Mountain Valley High School Principal Matt Gilbert said his school was the first contacted by WGME TV to take part in the “food-raiser.”

Gauvin said the school started planning for the event two weeks before classes began. He said $1 equals 5 pounds of food.

Greene said the school-spirit challenge has prompted local businesses, police and fire departments and others to compete in collecting the most food. Sunday River Ski Resort has also donated a matching gift, he said.

Some classes are having penny wars, and boxes for collecting food designated with specific class levels are being placed in the high school lobby, he said.

All schools taking part in the food challenge have until Oct. 31 to gather food and money.

“We’ve gone out to talk with a ton of businesses,” Greene said.

Last year’s winner, Wiscasset High School, gathered the equivalent of 56,000 pounds of food.

The competition between schools shows school pride and spirit while helping the community.

Mountain Valley kicked off its food drive Sept. 12. The YouTube video of the event, complete with nearly three-quarters of the students clad in the school’s colors, can be seen in a link on the school’s website.

RSU 10 food service Director Jeanne LaPointe and transportation director Kenny Robbins said food distribution is sometimes difficult because nearly every school must be supplied with food at the same time.

The number of food service workers, as well as their hours, were cut as a result of a severe reduction in the 2014-15 operating budget.

Robbins said transporting the food is “a work in progress.” A van may be needed for food distribution for the Buckfield area, he added.

More hours are needed for food service workers, Lapointe said.

“The time frame is tight,” she said.

Part of the reduction in costs for student meal production was a decrease in the number of production kitchens — from one for nearly every school to a total of four.

Superintendent Craig King recommended that Lapointe work with the food production managers. A few additional food service hours may be allowed.

The district estimated a savings of about $67,000 from cutting the number of production kitchens and staff hours.

Robbins said he is not seeing any savings from the transportation department.

“My staff is short,” he said. “We’ve had layoffs. We’re at a breaking point.” 

King suggested that Robbins and Lapointe meet to try to make the new system work.

“Come back during the budget season,” King said.

The kitchen and staff reductions, along with more than 40 other eliminated positions, were the result of a more than $1 million decrease in state aid, as well as other reductions to try to get a budget that would pass.