Swampscott school lunch prices to rise

SWAMPSCOTT – Skyrocketing food costs are hitting the school lunch program in Swampscott.School Committee Chairman David Whelan said the price of school lunches would increase by 25 cents per day this fall.”The School Committee has always been attentive, if you will, to some of the increases,” he said. “We always struggle with raising fees and we certainly don’t want to nickel and dime people, but given the economy and costs associated with the lunch program, we have no choice but to raise the price. Even with the price increase, the district is subsidizing a small amount of the costs of the lunch program.”In the fall, high school students will be paying $2.50 for lunch and elementary and middle school lunches will cost $2.25.The last time the district raised prices was in April 2006 when the School Committee voted to increase the lunch prices for 2006/2007 by 25 cents, which means students have been paying $2 for lunch in the elementary and middle schools and $2.25 at the high school. At that time, school officials said the lunch program was operating at a $15,000 deficit.Budget Director/Business Manager Ed Cronin said the district has a contract with Chartwells that runs through June 2009. He said the lunch program lost more than $80,000 last year but because the district has a “guaranteed loss contract” with Chartwells the district only had to cover $57,000 of the loss.Cronin said the projected loss for the 2008/2009 school year is approximately $62,000 and the district is responsible for covering $51,000 of that, which was built into the budget.”The projected loss takes the 25 cent price increase into account,” Cronin said. “Because of the price increase we anticipate a 5 percent decrease in sales, but the most it would cost the district is $51,000.”Swampscott is not alone in rising lunch prices.On average, school districts in the state are raising lunch prices between 25 and 50 cents. According to the School Nutrition Association, the average school lunch price nationally is expected to be $1.98 for next year, up 32 cents from this past school year and the cost of food for lunch programs has increased between 11 percent and 19 percent.Peabody raised its prices last year to $2.25 for elementary lunch and $2.50 for middle and high school lunches.In February, Saugus raised its lunch prices 25 cents across the board and increased milk by 10 cents. It was the first time in four years prices were increased.At the time, Saugus School Department Finance Manager Richard Weeks said it was imperative that revenue meet expenses, which go beyond buying food. He said money taken in through the lunch program also goes toward repairing equipment and the company contracted to provide meals for the School Department gets paid whether financial goals are met or not.Superintendent Matthew Malone said Swampscott is encouraging all eligible families to apply for the free federal lunch program, which will reimburse the district $2.62 for a free lunch – an increase from this past school year.In order to encourage eligible families to apply for free/reduced lunch, the district allows students receiving a free lunch to apply for a waiver that, if approved, would exempt them from paying athletic and user fees. But in some communities, that has led to other problems.In Saugus, the School Committee urged families to apply for the free and reduced lunch program, which resulted in the Athletic Department taking a financial hit.