Saugus school board votes on buses, lunch price

SAUGUS – Higher lunch prices and a lack of busing are two obstacles students may face during the 2011-12 school year.Both items were recommended by unanimous votes by the Transportation and Food Service sub-committees of the School Committee on Thursday afternoon. While the lunch price hike is federally mandated, the changes in student busing was conceived to save the town $80,000 during a budget deficit of $1.2 million.?Given the shortfall for next year, we are looking to go with the mandated busing service only,” said Samuel Rippin, executive director of finance and operations. “I don?t think people generally get the impact of this, but when they realize what mandated busing is or isn?t, I think we will get a fair amount of activity around it.”The proposal means that students in kindergarten through grade 6 who live more than two miles away will continue to be bused for free. However, students in grades 7-12 who live less than two miles away will not be bused. Those who qualify for free and reduced lunch will continue to be bused.?We don?t see a choice with this,” Rippin said. “Desperate times call for desperate measures. In order to get the savings, we really have to trim down to the mandate.”As for the lunch hike, Rippin said the 10 cents is being mandated by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. The provision requires schools 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 as they are for those eligible for free lunches.According to the act, only school?s charging less than $2.46 for a lunch will be required to raise the price.Currently, Rippin said school lunch prices in K-6 grades is $2.25, while 6-12 is $2.50. The hike would see K-6 charged $2.35 and 6-12 charged $2.60.?We?re only doing this because of federal requirements,” Rippin said.Both items will be visited by the School Committee at its next meeting on June 9.