Mom, can you spare a dime?
If you buy your child lunch at school every day in Lee’s Summit schools, next year it could cost you $17.10 more than last year because of slight price increases.
Most lunches will cost a nickel or dime more this coming year in the Lee’s Summit School District, depending on whether the student chooses a premier or regular meal. The Lee’s Summit Board of Education approved the price increases at its June 20 meeting, to keep the lunch program self-supporting and to meet federal requirements.
Breakfast prices will go up 10 cents — from $1.40 to $1.50 — in elementary schools. All student lunch prices went up at least a nickel, except for elementary premier lunch.
Judy Hedrick, associate superintendent for business and operation, said federal regulations require school districts to calculate their prices each year to ensure federal funds aren’t used to subsidize costs for families who aren’t eligible for free- or reduced lunch aid.
In the Lee’s Summit School District, 19.2 percent of the students were eligible for free or reduced lunch prices, compared to the Missouri average of 51.7 percent, according to information in the 2016 district report card with the Missouri Department of Secondary and Elementary Education.
The district’s lunch prices are comparable to those in surrounding districts.
“We’re still in the mid-pack there; not at the high or low end,” Hedrick said.
The differences between premier meals is in the entree costs, which can range from 50 cents for a dish like chicken nuggets to 70 cents for a higher-priced dish like a chicken tender.
Prices at high school are higher because of the variety of fruits and vegetables offered, Hedrick said.
School board member Dennis Smith said he was impressed with steps the district takes to keep its lunches in that range. It takes such measures as keeping a large freezer to store food purchased at low prices.
“Over the years, the (food service) managers work very hard to take care of everybody,” Smith said.
School lunches cost more this year
Lunch prices are increasing at Lee’s Summit School District for 2017-18 after the district calculated its costs to ensure it wasn’t using federal money for families who pay full price for breakfast and lunch.
▪ Elementary $2.20 to $2.25
▪ Middle school $2.35 to $2.40
▪ High school $2.40 to $2.50
▪ Adult lunch $3 to $3.25
▪ Elementary premier stays at $2.50
▪ Middle school premier $2.50 to $2.60
▪ High school premier $2.75 to $2.85
▪ Adult premier $3 to $3.50
This story was originally published July 27, 2017 at 11:49 AM with the headline "Mom, can you spare a dime?."