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Wake County board approves 25-cent school meal increase, adds task force to seek alternatives
Summary
The Wake County Board of Education voted unanimously June 17 to raise student meal prices by 25 cents across grade levels and to form a task force to identify cost-saving measures and ways to boost participation before future price changes.
The Wake County Board of Education voted unanimously June 17 to raise school meal prices by 25 cents per meal across grade levels and to create a task force to explore cost reductions and participation strategies.
Board staff said rising labor and food costs left the child nutrition program operating on roughly a month of reserve funds and that current meal prices lag the federal reimbursement rate for free meals. "Pre‑COVID, hourly wages were $11.58; now we're at about $17.50," Miss Lawrence, who presented the proposal, told the board. She said food-item prices have also increased and noted the district currently receives $4.69 in reimbursement for each free meal.
Public commenters urged caution. "Another meal price increase is going to price even more families out of school meal participation," Janette Hill, an assistant principal at Apex High School and a School Meals for All North Carolina volunteer, told the board. Hill asked the board to adopt any increase with an asterisk: create a task force to identify alternatives and boost participation. The board amended the motion on her suggestion and included the task force in the approved action.
Board members described the decision as painful but necessary given inflation and staffing costs. "None of us want to do this to families," board member Edmonds said, while also backing a task force to pursue alternatives. Vice Chair Hershey and other members said the funding problems reflect broader state and federal funding choices.
The motion to raise prices and create a task force passed on a unanimous roll call (Dr. Ing; Miss Cfield; Miss Gordon; Dr. Job; Miss Edmonds; Vice Chair Hershey; Chair Swanson). Board leaders said the first task force meeting is expected in September and invited community and student representation.
The board and staff emphasized that the 25-cent increase will not fully cover all proposed wage increases and that increased meal participation and additional revenue sources would be needed to close the gap. Staff said they are pursuing expansion of free-breakfast-and-lunch site designations for more schools, and the district's nutrition team will continue seeking ways to limit reliance on subsidies.
The vote follows public comment and weeks of policy and budget committee discussions; the board also approved related budget and policy items during the same meeting.
