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May 31. 2012 10:39PM
Derry school lunch prices remain up in the air
DERRY — School administrators are still awaiting federal data to determine whether there will be an increase in school lunch prices next year.
School Business Director Jane Simard said there will likely be a recommendation made on school breakfast and lunch prices at the School Board’s June 12 meeting. She said the district is waiting to see whether the federal government will release its new percentage guidelines for school lunch reimbursement rates and prices by that time.
“We want to make sure that if we do have an increase, we do it before that meeting,” said Simard.
Superintendent Mary Ellen Hannon said it is important to have the school lunch prices set before the school year ends.
“Parents should know before they come to school what the price for lunch and breakfast is going to be,” said Hannon. “It’s helpful for the parents if we can put that out in a memo. It seems like we are always waiting for the federal government for some information.”
Simard said the federal formula that will help determine the school lunch prices was supposed to be released several months ago.
Last year saw the district raise lunch and breakfast prices for the first time in several years as the federal government released a new five-year program to close the disparity between what districts are reimbursed for free lunches and what the districts charge for paid lunches.
The disparity between the paid prices and the $2.72 reimbursement for free meals last year helped keep the price of paid meals artificially low with the support of the free-meal reimbursements. To close that gap, the USDA began requiring school districts around the country to raise prices for students who pay full prices for meals in districts where there is a disparity.
The new federal regulations, which took effect this year, require the average paid lunch cost in a district to rise gradually over the next five years until the average price (plus a small reimbursement amount per paid meal) equals the total free-meal reimbursement.
This year, the full price for lunches is $2.15 in the elementary schools and $2.35 in the middle schools.
School Business Director Jane Simard said there will likely be a recommendation made on school breakfast and lunch prices at the School Board’s June 12 meeting. She said the district is waiting to see whether the federal government will release its new percentage guidelines for school lunch reimbursement rates and prices by that time.
“We want to make sure that if we do have an increase, we do it before that meeting,” said Simard.
Superintendent Mary Ellen Hannon said it is important to have the school lunch prices set before the school year ends.
“Parents should know before they come to school what the price for lunch and breakfast is going to be,” said Hannon. “It’s helpful for the parents if we can put that out in a memo. It seems like we are always waiting for the federal government for some information.”
Simard said the federal formula that will help determine the school lunch prices was supposed to be released several months ago.
Last year saw the district raise lunch and breakfast prices for the first time in several years as the federal government released a new five-year program to close the disparity between what districts are reimbursed for free lunches and what the districts charge for paid lunches.
The disparity between the paid prices and the $2.72 reimbursement for free meals last year helped keep the price of paid meals artificially low with the support of the free-meal reimbursements. To close that gap, the USDA began requiring school districts around the country to raise prices for students who pay full prices for meals in districts where there is a disparity.
The new federal regulations, which took effect this year, require the average paid lunch cost in a district to rise gradually over the next five years until the average price (plus a small reimbursement amount per paid meal) equals the total free-meal reimbursement.
This year, the full price for lunches is $2.15 in the elementary schools and $2.35 in the middle schools.
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