SOUTHWICK – In order to comply with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the district will likely increase lunch prices.
Superintendent John Barry told the Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School Committee yesterday that the current prices are less than the difference between the Free and Paid Federal reimbursement rates. According to the USDA policy, when a School Food Authority (SFA) participating in the National School Lunch Program has lower prices than the reimbursement, it must increase its average paid lunch price or provide funds from non-federal sources.
“We’re not voting on this tonight, but I think we have to increase and go with option A,” said Barry.
Current daily lunch prices are $2.50 at the high school, $2.50 at Powder Mill Middle School, $2.35 at Woodland Elementary School, and $2.35 at Granville Village School.
The government reimbursement rates are $2.91 for free lunch reimbursement, minus .27 of the federal share, minus another .05 for the state share, which equals an average of $2.59.
The proposed new rate for lunch is $2.75 for the high school and middle school, and $2.50 for the elementary schools.
While members of the committee expressed their unhappiness at having to increase lunch prices, Jean McGivney-Burelle noted that it “should hold for a few years.”
The second option would require non-federal funds to the tune of approximately $27,000 a year be used, either from the general fund, PTO, or other source besides federal money.
The committee will take up the matter in a future meeting.
