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Board debates proposed breakfast and lunch price increases as budget pressures grow
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Summary
District staff recommended raising lunch to $4.25 and charging $2 for breakfast for students not eligible for free/reduced meals; board members expressed concern about increasing breakfast costs and asked for school-level participation data and neighboring-district comparisons before deciding.
District finance staff proposed increases to student meal prices during a budget preview and board discussion Tuesday.
Jacob Harmon recommended raising lunch for students not eligible for free or reduced-price meals from $3.75 to $4.25 and introducing a $2 charge for breakfast (previously no charge for some students). Harmon said limiting breakfast to $1 would cost the district roughly $160,000 next year. "We seek your approval for the recommended changes," Harmon said, adding staff could provide alternate scenarios.
Board members raised concerns about charging for breakfast, arguing it supports student readiness. One board member said, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day... I don't want to increase the breakfast." Members asked staff for data on how many students take breakfast at each school and for comparisons with neighboring districts; Harmon said participation is above 60% districtwide with variation by school and that many nearby districts charge around $2 for breakfast.
The board did not take a vote on meal pricing and directed staff to provide additional participation and comparative data during the budget process. Harmon said the district has time before final budget adoption in July to refine recommendations.
