Schools
Healthier Foods Cause School Lunch Price Hike
The costs of lunch in North Haven schools is going up 15 cents next year in order to avert a projected deficit from new federal laws on healthy school foods.
Facing a projected deficit, the North Haven Board of Education voted on Thursday to raise the price of school lunches from $2.25 to $2.40.
“One of the reasons that we project to be running into the red…is that there are new health constraints in place,” said Wesley O’Brien, a board member. “For example, 1 percent milk, certain fresh fruits and vegetables are required.”
According to figures provided by school officials, school lunches would run a $2,000 deficit in 2012-13 if the current prices remained. With the price hike, in addition to a separate 3 percent rise in a la carte prices, there would be a $6,700 profit.
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Over a 180-day school year, each student will pay $27 more. Students receiving free or reduced-price lunch will be unaffected.
The 84-page “Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2012” was signed into law by President Barack Obama in Dec. 2010. His wife, Michelle, campaigned for the law in an effort to reduce childhood obesity.
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