Federal Law Forces Hudson to Raise School Lunch Prices
Some Hudson parents will have to shell out more for their kids' school lunch this year and the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 is to blame. Prices could continue to creep upward in future years until reaching the federal reimbursment rate.
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Some Hudson parents will have to shell out an extra dime for their kid's school lunch this year.
The Hudson School District Board of Education voted to increase school lunch prices 10 cents at its July 10 meeting held at River Crest Elementary School mostly due to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.
Next school year, elementary student lunches will $1.85 while middle school and high school lunches will cost $2.05. High school breakfast will cost $1.10. Adult prices also are going up 10 cents — $2.95 for adult lunch and $1.60 for adult breakfast.
There will be no change to the price of milk — $0.35 — and elementary snack break — $0.50.
Hudson School District Financial Services Director Tim Erickson explained the reasons for the price increases to the Board of Education before it voted.
"It's a paid lunch equity rule," Erickson said. "What is being required of districts that participate in the National School Lunch Program is that they bring an adjustment to paid lunch prices so that there isn't a perceived or supplementation of fully paid prices for lunch."
Erickson told the board that the rule will force the district to gradually increase prices until they reach the federal reimbursment rate, which now stands at $2.51.
Erickson pointed to additional factors that prompt the district to raise prices, including the new federal mandate requiring students to take a fruit or vegetable, increases to food costs and increases to fuel surcharges on food deliveries.
Erickson also pointed out to the board members that even after the increase, the district's lunch prices remain below the average prices for schools in Cooperative Educational Service Agencies (CESA) Number 11.
Maria Sinn
7:45 am on Sunday, July 15, 2012
This article is presented to sway the reader to feel this is a negative change. Perhaps the slight increase will lead to healthier plant based choices.
Tophat12
10:23 am on Sunday, July 15, 2012
"....Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 is to blame."
I don't see this increase as a negative if it leads to healthier foods. "Shelling" out another dime seems of little cost.
Jim Duffy
12:00 pm on Sunday, July 15, 2012
So it's a bad thing to give kids nutritious food then? How dare they require a child to take a fruit or vegetable. Maybe the school can take away recess to offset any commie health benefits
HHF34
10:30 am on Monday, July 16, 2012
It's one thing to require them to TAKE a fruit or vegetable, it's another to MAKE them actually eat it. I remember sitting with the principal one day for two hours because I wouldn't eat the full lunch (I had four teeth pulled the previous day, I wasn't exactly all that into eating anything that'd get stuck), when she tried to play the "poor starving kids in Africa" card, I played the "Send it over!" card...
MrsPeel
6:34 pm on Sunday, July 15, 2012
Incredible! A new record has just been set. It only took three posts before Communism or Socialism was mentioned.
Though I do think Mr. Duffy was being sarcastic.
Cynthia
8:21 am on Monday, July 16, 2012
The extra cost pays for the government overseers of the 84 pages of new regulations. Read the bill , the link is in the article.
HHF34
10:28 am on Monday, July 16, 2012
Arguably the prices are pretty cheap and it could also be argued that an inflationary increase was overdue and this just provided the excuse. The REAL issue is that the legislation is causing the price increase, not the local school wanting to give the lunch ladies a real budget to work with to provide "healthier" options (which remains to be seen because no one can agree on what the term "healthy" really is especially for kids who are physically active during the course of their day..). Remember, healthy food is only healthy if the kid actually eats it, it's great to provide options, but the lunch ladies need to be given enough flex such that they can convince the kids to eat it. My lunch lady friends all talk about how amazing it is that 1 tbsp of reduced fat ranch dressing will get a kid to eat their carrots vs. without it they end up with three extra bags of trash because kids just won't eat it...