From West Ada School Nutrition

2014-15 Lunch Price Increase

Dear West Ada School District Parents/Guardians:

The price of lunch for both secondary and elementary has been increased for the 2014-15 school year. The new prices are $2.25 for elementary and $3.00 for secondary.

The reason for this increase stems from the “Equity in School Lunch Pricing” or “Paid Lunch Equity” provision of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which reauthorized child nutrition programs and requires changes in order to implement its provisions. Below is information from a USDA fact sheet dated March 2011.

We appreciate your support of our school lunch program and our ongoing efforts to provide healthy, nutritious meals to our students. Please contact West Ada School District School Nutrition Services (855-4575) with any questions.

 

What is the “Equity in School Lunch Pricing” Provision?

 

• Effective July 1, 2011, section 205 of the Health, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 Requires school food authorities (SFAs) participating in the National School Lunch Program to provide the same level of support for lunches served to students who are not eligible for free or reduced price lunches (i.e., paid lunches) as they are for lunches served to students eligible for free lunches. The Act directs SFAs to:
   
  1. Compare the average price charged for lunches served to students not eligible for free or reduced price lunches (i.e., students receiving “paid lunches”) to the difference between the higher Federal reimbursement provided for free lunches and the lower Federal reimbursement provided for paid lunches.
      
  2. If the average paid lunch price is less than the difference, an SFA must either gradually adjust average prices or provide non-Federal funding to cover the difference.
      
     2.  Why is this provision important?
      
• Historically, there have been three main sources of funds provided to nonprofit school food service accounts: Federal reimbursements, paid meal revenues, and State and local funding. The Federal reimbursement for paid meals was designed to be minimal in relation to these other sources and has always been substantially less than the reimbursement for free and reduced price meals.
   
• Research indicates that average prices charged for paid lunches in some SFAs are less than the cost of producing those lunches.
   
• Pricing paid lunches below the cost of production effectively increases Federal subsidies for higher income children because Federal funds intended for free and reduced price lunches are being used to help fill in the gap between what a paid lunch costs and what the school received for it. Children across all income levels are negatively affected by limiting the funds available to provide nutritious meals.
   
• This provision will help ensure that schools have funding available to support serving nutritious meals to all students.