Potential increase in school meal cost causes concern for some families
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – With prices of school breakfast and lunch meals possibly increasing next school year, Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp. parent Karese Johnson is concerned the move could pose problems for low-income families.
During Monday's school board meeting, Carl Underwood, assistant superintendent of Business Operations, motioned a potential plan to increase all school meal prices by more than 6 percent.
As the Community Impact Officer with United Way of Southwestern Indiana, Johnson said she works hands-on with many who could be affected by the possible upticks in cost because they fall into the ALICE category, an acronym standing for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. They are families that struggle to survive because they earn more than the federal poverty level but less than the basic cost of living.
Johnson, who pays for her two children's school meals, fears these families won't be able to afford the potential increases. While her children kids have the option to eat school meals or pack their lunch, many children don't have the same luxury, she said.
"The 6 percent increase isn't really going to affect me," Johnson said, "but I think about those students whose parents are working but don't quite make enough to have extra funds for increases like this.
"I think about families who don't qualify for free-reduced lunch, but are just over the poverty line where a 6 percent increase would affect them, especially with multiple children."
According to board documents, the district would increase school meal prices to meet the Paid Lunch Equity (PLE) requirement, which requires schools to charge students for paid meals at a price equivalent to the average between free and paid reimbursement.
To meet this requirement and other federal guidelines, middle school lunches could increase from $2.20 to $2.35, with high school lunches ramping up from $2.40 to $2.55 next school year – 6.8 and 6.3 percent increases respectively.
Along with an increase in school lunch, the EVSC proposed cost increases to student breakfast fees. Elementary and middle school students' breakfast fees could go from $1.35 to $1.45, with high school student breakfast going from $1.50 to $1.60 – a 7.4 and 6.7 percent increase respectively.
"You have to keep those prices up," EVSC spokesman Jason Woebkenberg said. "It's a federal guideline, so we have to make adjustments to keep those prices in line with what the federal government is requiring."
The average weighted lunch price required for the 2020-2021 academic year is $2.35 compared to the current price at $2.25.
While school meals may increase, Woebkenberg said the corporation currently has 20 schools and a work-based learning program in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). The CEP provides non-pricing meal service options, allowing high-poverty schools and districts to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students.
These schools include Caze Elementary School, Cedar Hall Community School, McGary Middle School, Hardwood Elementary School, Fairlawn Elementary School and 15 others.
However, that list leaves 20 other schools without non-priced meals.
"They based these decisions on zip codes and not facts," Johnson said. "All schools are made up of (asset limited) families that will struggle with this increase."
The administration will vote on this action item during the July 13 school board meeting.