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Grand Forks board approves 20-cent meal price increase to maintain school nutrition fund
Summary
The Grand Forks School Board voted unanimously to raise several student meal prices by 20 cents to preserve the financial health of the district's child nutrition (Fund 50) program; board members and the child nutrition director discussed fund management and free/reduced eligibility during the meeting.
The Grand Forks School Board voted 9-0 to raise meal prices by 20 cents for elementary breakfast and lunch, secondary breakfast and lunch, and adult breakfast to support the financial health of the district's child nutrition program.
The increase applies to meals paid from Fund 50, the district's separate child nutrition fund administered under the USDA National School Lunch program. “It's completely separate from the general operations,” district finance staff member Jay Baumbach told the board, noting Fund 50 must be managed independently of the general fund. The proposed change was described in a memo and tables included in the meeting packet showing the district had not adjusted meal prices since the 2018 school year.
Why it matters: Board members and Child Nutrition Director Wendy Manky said the incremental increase is intended to offset rising food and labor costs while preserving a healthy fund balance used for operations and occasional capital purchases for kitchens and service equipment. Baumbach said USDA reimbursement rules constrain how the program can adjust prices and noted the district had been exempt from increases until now because of prior fund health.
Board discussion ranged from cost comparisons with peer districts to how the free and reduced-price program works. Director Wendy Manky said the district is encouraging online applications this year and emphasized that meal service is anonymous to avoid student stigmatization. “If families don't pay for their lunches, we still feed them,” Manky said, adding the department has used a mix of USDA commodity support, paid family accounts and occasional private fundraising to maintain operations.
The motion to increase meal prices was seconded by board member Mr. Cleven. The roll-call vote recorded nine yes, zero no and zero absent; the increases take effect in the schedule set by the district's child nutrition office.
The board also heard that Fund 50 has been able to maintain a balance large enough to allow limited capital purchases in prior years and that administrators monitor staffing and food-cost pressures when considering future price adjustments.
