School lunch cost to rise in Saugus

SAUGUS – The cost of buying lunch at school is going up, but not until after the first of the year.School Committee member Frederick Doucette, who serves on the Food Service Subcommittee, said he is recommending lunches go up 25 cents across the board and milk to increase 10 cents.Doucette said the committee surveyed area schools and found their suggested increases are in the ballpark. The committee also found that without cost increases, the food service revolving account would come up short.While there is a company contracted to provide meals for the schools, according to Finance Manager Richard Weeks, it gets paid whether the School Department makes its financial goals or not.”It is incumbent upon us to have revenue to meet expenses and have the capital to repair equipment,” he said.Weeks said the increase is needed because the schools aren’t taking in enough to meet expenses and set money aside for equipment repair.”I believe this nominal increase will cover that,” he said. “And by the time it is implemented, Feb. 1, it would be four and a half years since there was an increase in lunch prices, so it’s timely.”Doucette said the fact the increase averages out to $45 per year is not lost on him. He said he understands that families who have three or four children in the school system would likely feel the financial pinch.”It’s why we decided to really push the free and reduced lunch program again,” he said. “It’s a good program.”The program promises to provide nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day. It was established under the National School Lunch Act, signed by President Harry Truman in 1946.Doucette said he believed the lunch program was one of the most important programs offered in that it was good for everybody and he urged families to look into it.Superintendent Keith Manville said eligibility guidelines for the program could be picked up at each school.