Board of Education to Consider Lunch Price Increase

Staff will recommend 30-cent and 50-cent increases for the 2009-10 school year

Contact: Laurie Hogan (336) 370-8307
Created: 6/24/2009 12:57:50 PM

The Guilford County Board of Education will consider a recommendation from the district to increase the price of school lunches for the 2009-10 school year during its meeting Thursday. The price increase of 50 cents for elementary schools and 30 cents for middle and high schools is needed in order for Guilford County Schools (GCS) to keep the School Nutrition Services Fund out of debt and cover costs associated with preparing meals.

If approved, the increase in prices, only the third in the history of GCS, would not affect students who qualify for free or reduced lunch. Also, despite the increase, the price for school lunches in GCS would still be below prices charged by other school districts in North Carolina. The increase in the price of school lunches would result in a change from $1.80 to $2.30 for elementary schools, $2.10 to $2.40 for middle schools, and $2.20 to $2.50 for high schools. These price changes must be approved by the Board of Education in order to be implemented.

If the board approves the price increases, GCS would raise lunch prices for only the third time since the consolidation of the district in July 1993. In 2004-05, lunch prices increased 5 cents for elementary schools and 10 cents for middle and high schools. In 2007-08, lunch prices increased by 20 cents for all schools.

The almost 50 percent of GCS students who are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals would not be impacted by the proposed increases. Based on current participation data, about 15,050 students or 42 percent of the remaining student population would be impacted. Adult meal prices would not change. In 2007-08, the district changed pricing for adult meals from a fixed rate to a la carte for food items.

The proposed 2009-10 GCS lunch prices would fall below some North Carolina school districts and above others. The lunch prices for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, Davidson County Schools and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools would be 5 cents to 50 cents higher than GCS. The prices for lunch in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Wake County Schools and Alamance County Schools would remain 30 cents to 50 cents lower than GCS.

Child nutrition programs in school districts across the state are operating in debt. According to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, the average cost of producing a school lunch rose from $2.80 to $3.20 during the 2008-09 school year. The average cost to paying students across the state was only about $2.00. Also, federal funding for free and reduced lunch does not completely cover the cost of producing a meal. The federal reimbursement of $2.57 per student on free lunch falls short by 63 cents, while the reimbursement of $2.13 per student on reduced-price lunch plus the 40 cents paid by the student falls short by 67 cents. “We are recommending a price increase for next year so we can continue to provide a quality and financially viable school nutrition program,” said Cynthia Sevier, director of school nutrition services. “It is understandable that a price increase may be a concern to parents in these economic times, but this change is necessary so we can cover rising costs and provide nutritious meals to all of our students.”

In addition to price increases, GCS staff members are recommending reductions in the number of menu choices, serving lines, supplies purchased, van rentals and breaks in serving time schedules where appropriate. Limits on computer equipment replacement and uniform purchases and a discontinuation in printing menus are also recommended. These changes would help the district generate sufficient revenue to cover expenses and indirect cost in 2009-10. The School Nutrition Services Fund is a self-supporting account with the exception of federal and state funding it receives for certain programs. For the 2008-09 school year, the district anticipates that the net loss in the fund is approximately $600,000, which includes costs for preparing meals and a potential shortfall in recovering an investment in a food purchasing cooperative GCS withdrew from in 2006. The $600,000 net loss excludes an estimated $2.1 million in indirect cost and nearly $503,000 in unpaid meal charges that must be covered by the district’s local fund since School Nutrition Services cannot write-off debt.

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About Guilford County Schools

Guilford County Schools is the third largest school district in North Carolina serving more than 71,000 students at 120 schools. With approximately 10,000 employees, the district’s mission is to graduate responsible citizens prepared to succeed in higher education or the career of their choice. 

Guilford County Schools is a national leader in providing specialized schools and instructional programs designed to meet the educational needs of a culturally diverse citizenship.  For more information, visit the district’s Web site at www.gcsnc.com.