District seeks small meal-price increases as food-service contract rises 3.7%

Vermillion School District staff told the board on May 12 they will renew the food-service contract with Lunchtime Solutions at a 3.7% increase tied to the contract'specified CPI and recommended modest student meal-price increases for 2025–26.

Finance/purchasing presenter Mister Kosher said, "it is a 3.7% increase and it's as it's written in that contract, it's based on the CPI for the food, category that we use that's specified in that contract. So 3.7% increase." To help protect the food-service fund, staff recommended raising breakfast prices by 15 cents and lunch prices by 20 cents.

Under the recommendation, breakfasts for students would be $2.00 (JK'12). Lunch prices would be $3.25 for JK'5, $3.50 for grades 6'8 and $3.55 for grades 9'12. Staff said the district still maintains a healthy fund balance but has been moving into reserves since federal COVID-era reimbursements declined.

Board members asked about free and reduced-price application processes and whether the district's practice of covering reduced-price meals as free (used in recent years) would continue. Mr. Kosher said the application process remains the same and the district will review whether to continue covering reduced-price meals with district funds or pursue other partnerships.

Staff also said the summer food program will begin the day after Memorial Day, reported as May 27, and will again be hosted at the high school for at least one year while the middle-school kitchen is being remodeled.

The board reviewed these items as part of the finance discussion; staff said the finance committee had reviewed the price proposals earlier.