Lost in the hubbub surrounding California's new $20-per-hour minimum wage for fast food workers is how that raise could impact public schools, forcing districts to compete with the likes of McDonald's and Wendy's for cafeteria workers amid a state budget crunch. The minimum wage law that took effect Monday guarantees at least $20-per-hour for workers at fast food restaurant chains with at least 60 locations nationwide.
But some districts are limited in what they can do. In the Lynwood Unified School District in Los Angeles County, the starting salary for food service workers is $17.70 per hour and maxes out at $21.51 per hour, according to Gretchen Janson, the district's assistant superintendent of business services. She said these workers only work three hours per day, meaning they aren't eligible for health benefits.