Most Northwest R-1 students will pay more for school breakfasts and lunches during the 2023-2024 school year, which begins Aug. 22.
The Board of Education voted 5-0 on July 20 to increase the cost of those meals by 20 cents. School board members Chris Shelton and Don Bickowski were absent from the meeting.
The last time the district increased meal prices was in 2018, by 10 cents, said Jennifer Younkins, director of administrative services for the district.
“As you know, there has been an increase in prices for all consumers,” she said. “We are subject to those increases as well.”
However, breakfast will be free for elementary school students, as it has been in the past. In addition, students who receive free or reduced-price meals will not see price increases for breakfast or lunch, Younkins said.
The Northwest district will charge elementary school students $2.70 for lunch this school year. Secondary school students – those in middle school and high school – will be charged $1.90 for breakfast and $2.85 for lunch. Adults will pay $2.70 for breakfast and $3.95 for lunch at any school in the district.
Milk will cost 5 cents more this school year, for a total of 45 cents.
“The additional funds collected from the increased prices will go back into our cost to run our food services program,” Younkins said. “Not only does our food service incur food costs, there are additional costs for replacements of commercial-grade appliances that we must maintain in our buildings, such as walk-in freezers, refrigerator units, ovens, utensils and other items.”
The district estimates the increase in meal prices will bring in approximately $12,542 more in revenue, according to district documents.
Northwest made $3,883,810.54 from breakfast and lunch sales in the 2022-2023 school year, Younkins said.
According to district documents, 25,158 breakfasts and 37,552 lunches were sold during the 2022-2023 school year. The price increases for meals and milk were needed so the district can continue providing nutritious meals and keeping expenses in check, district officials said.
“Increasing costs for food, supplies, personnel and equipment all contribute to the challenge of maintaining a fiscally responsible program,” district officials said in Board of Education documents. “Cost-effective meals which meet or exceed nutrition guidelines continue to be a goal for the district.”
Enroll now
Younkins encourages qualifying families to sign up for the free and reduced-price meal program. According to the Northwest district’s website, anyone who filled out the application for the program before July 1 needs to reapply for the 2023-2024 school year based on new eligibility guidelines.
Eligibility is determined by district residents’ annual household incomes. The guidelines are posted on the Food & Nutrition page of Northwest’s website, northwestschools.net/Page/4097.
Applications may be submitted online through the Northwest parent portal, called Your Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Or, paper applications may be filled out and submitted at any Northwest school building, according to the Northwest website.