Due to a price increase required by the Child Nutrition Re-authorization Act, San Marcos CISD school board members voted to increase district meal prices next year by the minimum amount required of ten cents. The formula provided by USDATDA calculated that SMCISD is required to increase all meal prices by a minimum of $0.10.
Child Nutrition Director Mike Boone said, “We wish we did not have to increase meal prices for the ‘paid’ students and hope that it will not affect the participation in the National School Breakfast & Lunch Program. But to be in compliance with the Child Nutrition Re-authorization Act passed by Congress and signed by the President, we will have to increase prices every year until the paid students price equals what we receive from USDA for a free qualified student meal.”
Effective the school year beginning July 1, 2011, school nutrition programs were required to move towards charging paid meal category students at a price that is on average equal to the difference between free meal reimbursement and paid meal reimbursement. Schools that charge less than this amount are required to gradually increase their prices over time until they meet the requirement. The law establishes a maximum annual increase in the federally required paid increases of ten cents annually.
This is to ensure that sufficient funds are provided to the food service account for paid lunches. The District’s school lunch and breakfast prices were increased $0.05 for SY 2011-2012 and $0.05 for lunch only for SY 2012-2013, SY 2013-2014 and $0.10 for lunch only for SY 2014-2015.
Boone adds, “We will continue to provide the Universal Free Breakfast for all students.”
The following adjustments were approved to school lunch prices for the upcoming 2015-2016 school year.
Current Price ~ 2015-2016 Proposed
Lunch:
- Elementary – Reduced Price $0.40 $0.40
- Elementary – Full Price $2.00 $2.10
- Middle/High School – Reduced Price $0.40 $0.40
- Middle/High School – Full Price $2.25 $2.35
- Teacher/Staff $2.75 $2.85
- Visitor $3.00 $3.10
Breakfast:
- Teacher/Staff $1.50 $1.60
- Visitor $1.50 $1.60
The Child Nutrition Department will notify parents of increased school meal prices for the 2015-2016 school year, and post the notice on the district’s web site at
www.smcisd.net.