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Keene school lunches to cost more next year as food-service deficit narrows
Summary
The board accepted a food-service report and approved a proposed price increase for student meals (elementary $3.50; middle/high $4.00) after staff reported an improved but still negative fund balance and projected next-year shortfall; board voted 9–0 on the pricing.
Food-service leadership told the board the department closed the year with a smaller-than-expected deficit and a fund balance of about $323,000, but projected a $161,000 loss for the 2026–27 fiscal year without revenue changes. To address rising food and labor costs and declining participation, the department recommended increasing student lunch prices to $4.00 at the middle and high school and $3.50 at elementary schools.
Tim (food service) explained commodity purchasing and staffing factors behind the projection and said the program had to raise prices to move paid-meal pricing closer to the reimbursement level for free-and-reduced meals. Board members asked about outreach to enroll eligible families in free and reduced-price meals and about shorter, more crowded lunch periods possibly reducing participation. After discussion the board approved the meal-pricing proposal 9–0.
Tim also described hiring processes for a new food-service director (three finalists) and projected personnel changes to manage costs; trustees said they would monitor participation and debt levels and asked staff to report back if participation trends change significantly.
