The Moorpark College Cafeteria will turn off its stoves for good on May 20.
In a three-to-two vote, the Ventura County Community College District Board of Trustees decided to permanently shut down the operations of the cafeterias at the three county colleges at is monthly meeting on March 13.
“It is an acceptance of the reality that our cafeteria cannot currently compete successfully with other retail food operations in the area,” said Iris Ingram, Vice President of Business Services at Moorpark College in an email interview.
The proposal to cut the cafeterias arose to budgetary issues. The cafeterias must be able to financially support themselves without the help of the schools’ general funds, and because they have been unable to do so, they have had to borrow money from the Bookstores in order to stay open.
An issue the public addressed to the board before the vote on the fate of the cafeterias was whether or not the availability of freshly cooked food on the campuses is a necessity.
Carlos Gonzalez, ASG President at Oxnard College, was one of several people who spoke. He said that not having freshly prepared food on campus for students is “irresponsible,” and that eliminating the cafeterias is not taking a “vital necessity of students into account.”
Moorpark College student Jeremy Nation asked the board how it can justify shutting down the cafeterias when it is “paying $49,000 each month for the district building.”
After listening to public comment, each of the five board members spoke before delivering a vote. “Nobody needs to eat for credit,” said Trustee Dr. Larry Miller.
In a separate interview Darren Wise, Moorpark College Food Service consultant, said that he does not believe that closing the cafeteria is a good solution to the problem. “We should adapt accordingly, not just shut them down.”
Wise suggested closing the cafeteria for the summer, and then reopening in fall with a modified menu and shorter hours.
While the cafeterias will shut down their operations at the end of the semester, the buildings themselves will remain open for students and staff to gather and socialize.
