Posted on 05/18/2011 5:14:30 PM PDT by mnehring
The cost of lunch at local school cafeterias is about to go up next year because of a new federal mandate that says there can’t be any price difference between free and paid meals.
Essentially, if a school district gets reimbursed $2.76 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture per lunch for a student on the free and reduced lunch program, then students who pay for meals also must be charged $2.76.
Gladewater ISD trustees voted to increase lunch prices 25 cents to start gradually phasing up to a cost of $2.76 for a meal, Superintendent J.P. Richardson said Tuesday.
Meal price hikes are because of requirements from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which added an amendment to the National School Lunch Program that takes effect July 1.
Under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, effective for years beginning after July 1, schools are required to charge students for paid meals at a price that is on average equal to the difference between free meal reimbursement and paid meal reimbursement, the amendment states. Schools that charge less are required to gradually increase their prices over time until they meet the requirement, according to the amendment.
Gladewater ISD is phasing in the price increase by raising lunch prices 25 cents. At Gay Avenue Primary and Broadway Elementary schools, the 2011-12 price will be $1.75; at Weldon Intermediate and Gladewater Middle schools, the price will be $2; while the Gladewater High School lunch price will increase to $2.25.
There are no planned changes to breakfast prices at this time, Richardson said.
Like Gladewater ISD, Hallsville ISD approved a 25-cent increase to cafeteria prices for the 2011-12 school year, district spokeswoman Carol Greer said. The district charges $2 for pre-kindergarten through fourth-grade students and $2.25 for students in fifth through 12th grades, she said.
Longview ISD spokesman Adam J. Holland said the district is aware of the new requirement and is working to develop a price structure to comply with the mandate.
According to the LISD website, the 2010-11 cafeteria prices are:
Elementary school breakfast: Free Middle/high school breakfast: $1.25 Reduced price breakfast (middle/high schools): 30 cents Elementary school lunch: $1.75 Middle/high school lunch: $2 Reduced price lunch (all campuses): 40 cents
By comparison, according to the White Oak ISD website, the 2010-11 cafeteria prices are:
Breakfast: $1.35 all campuses Lunch: $1.75/elementary $2/secondary Reduced breakfast: 30 cents Reduced lunch: 40 cents
At Pine Tree ISD, officials said they are still studying price changes.
“Pine Tree ISD will need to increase lunch prices for next school year, but no determination has been made at this time about how or when that will take place,” said Director of Child Nutrition Michelle Mitchell.
Pine Tree charges $2 for lunch in prekindergarten through fourth grades and $2.25 for fifth- through 12th-grade students.
“The district is studying how to address the increased lunch prices and will announce the decision at a future date,” Mitchell said. “We are working hard on a solution that will provide the best possible option for our families.”
Your government in action.
By this logic, do those who bring their own lunch get $2 each time??
That would save a bunch of money apparently.
Buy hammers and toilet seats before Obammy forces Home Depot to charge $500 for each.
Is this before or after they remove white potatoes from the menu? I couldn’t believe that when I read it this morning: the government has decided that potatoes are unhealthy and is talking about preventing school lunch funds from being spent on potatoes or potato products.
The ultimate goal is to forbid all students from bringing their own lunch!
Obviously you do not have a child in a public K-12 school.
School administration is very upset when parents do not attempt to sign up for “free or reduced meals”, whether or not parents think they “qualify”, “need” or want meal assistance.
The school will be the judge of that!
And “their” decision will be based upon the total number of students needed to “qualify” for additional federal funds, to be eligible for Federal Grants, etc.
This would make a great lesson in economics. Of course, homeschoolers won’t be effected by it.
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Good Lord. Potatoes are great for you.
You can live on potatoes and milk, it’s that nutritionally complete.
And they’ll still probably be dishing out french toast sticks with artificial maple syrup for breakfast.
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