Gilbert Unified trustees approve 10¢ lunch increase for fiscal 2027

The Gilbert Unified District Governing Board voted to raise paid lunch prices by 10¢ for the 2027 school year, saying the modest increase is intended to shore up nutrition services amid rising labor and food costs.

Superintendent Doctor McCord said the proposal responds to inflationary pressures and aging kitchen equipment and that district staff requested the increase to avoid drawing down the nutrition-services reserve. "This is due to inflationary increases associated with labor and food supplies," McCord said.

Ms. Betts, presenting the district's monthly financial report, told trustees the nutrition-services fund is projecting an available balance of just over $6 million at year-end but is expected to draw down by about $1.5 million. District nutrition director Natalie Tenney said a 10¢ increase on paid lunches would yield approximately $125,000 in additional revenue for the year and would represent roughly a 50¢ weekly increase for a student who buys lunch every school day.

Board members pressed staff on details, including whether the increase would apply across grade levels and how it interacts with federal reimbursement. Tenney said the 10¢ increase applies to full meals (not à la carte items) across elementary, junior-high and high-school levels and would not affect students eligible for free or reduced-price meals because of existing state and federal subsidies. Tenney also said the district would "vacate" the local price increase if federal legislation now pending in Congress were to increase paid-meal reimbursement sufficiently.

Several trustees questioned the timing and whether the board should wait for possible federal changes. Trustee Sheena Murray and others asked about the pace of prior incremental increases; Tenney and Ms. Betts described a multi-year approach to avoid larger sudden hikes for families.

After discussion, the board approved the 10¢ lunch-price increase for fiscal 2027 by voice vote.