Boston Public Schools are feeling the same squeeze ordinary consumers are experiencing with their grocery budget this year.According to an article in The Boston Globe, city schools will raise the price of both breakfast and lunch by 25 cents at the start of the upcoming school year.
Due to the fact that about three quarters of students in the district qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, the savings will only total about $100,000 for the year.
Superintendent Carol Johnson defended the decision in an interview after the School Committee meeting.
“Every dollar we spend over revenue received has to come out of academic programs. We all regret increasing lunch prices, but the price of food is going up," she told the Globe.
A student can now expect to spend about $1.25 for breakfast and between $2.25 and $2.50 for lunch each day. The average price for public school lunch across the nation is expected to rise to $1.98 for the 2008-2009 school year.
The amount that federal government will reimburse city schools for each free lunch, however, has also gone up to $2.56.
In the wake of rising fuel and food prices and a growing emphasis on providing students with fresh, nutritious food, the increases are part of a plan to prevent expanding the school system’s budget deficit.
--Bridget O'Sullivan
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