With new restrictions on meals this year, Mattapoisett’s elementary school cafeterias saw a $7,000 decrease in revenue.

Director of Food Services Caitlin Meagher said new state and federal meal regulations resulted in fewer options for kids in the lunchroom.

“For this year, we’ve been facing quite a few challenges,” said Meagher. “We’ve seen a pretty big decrease in our participation.”

Meagher said this school year saw a reduction in staffing as well as a $.25 increase in the price of lunches. To conserve money, she added that the schools have shared ingredients to reduce waste.

“We’ve been so focused on being in compliance…for next year, we’re planning to really focus on gaining that participation back,” she said.

Meagher said her team will work on developing new recipes, improving communication with families, and promoting the meals for the 2013-14 school year.