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Board approves 35¢ lunch price increase after district warns program could lose $150,000 without action
Summary
The Newington Board of Education voted to raise paid lunch prices by 35¢ for 2025–26 after the district's food services director said rising costs and the end of pandemic-era reimbursements left the lunch program projecting a $150,000 shortfall without a price increase.
The Newington Board of Education voted on June 11 to increase paid school lunch prices by 35¢ for the 2025–26 school year, after Food and Nutrition Services Director Dana (last name not provided) told the board the program faces substantial revenue declines since federal universal meal funding ended.
Dana told the board the program is projecting an annual operating shortfall of roughly $150,000 if paid prices remain unchanged and that a 35¢ increase would generate about $63,000 in additional revenue. She said participation dropped sharply when universal free meals ended and the district is serving roughly 5,340 fewer paid lunches per day compared with the universal period, reducing federal and state reimbursement dollars tied to participation.
“Additional funding…
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