In one of two articles I have out in the Suburban today, I write about how the T/E school district approved an increase in price of school meals.
Looks like, according to the NYTimes, that it’s a problem facing a lot of school districts, though some are making changes to help cut costs: buying bulk tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes, for example.
There is some interesting discussion about the reimbursments that districts get for students on free and reduced lunch programs:
But many school officials contend that the federal lunch money is not keeping up with rising food prices, particularly in districts that are stocking their cafeterias with healthier food choices like skim milk, whole grains and fresh fruit.
“When you start including more fresh fruit and vegetables instead of green beans in a can, your costs increase,” said Brian Sirianni, assistant superintendent for business in the Ballston Spa district, north of Albany. His 4,500-student district is raising lunch prices by 35 cents, to $2, in the middle and high school, and by 25 cents, to $1.75, in the elementary schools — and may have to increase prices again in the next two years.
My understanding, though,–and this is all from the meeting the other night–is that schools receive around $2.60 per free lunch student, which more than almost any school actually needs for their lunches. I was told that in districts where large numbers of students receive free lunch, this actually allows them to subsidize the paying students.
