The Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 will bring many new changes to the Island Trees School Lunch Program. Although the law will help improve the nutritional quality of our school lunches over the next few years, one of the changes associated with this new act has not be welcomed with open arms.
In particular, the sub-section known as “Paid Lunch Equity” requires our school district to begin a series of annual lunch price increases based on the weighted average lunch price established by the federal government.
Currently, the average price established is $2.51. Since our lunch prices are far below this mark, we have been required by this law to increase the prices of our school lunches to this amount.
The district was given the option to raise lunch prices to the full amount, $2.51, or implement a series of increases until we reach this amount. The district decided to implement a series of increases – 10 cents at our elementary schools and 15 cents at our secondary buildings – to comply with this new law.
Again, the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 is the reason for our upcoming increases to our school program. Our new lunch prices will be $1.50 at our elementary schools, Sparke and Stokes, and $1.75 at our secondary schools. Despite the increases, Island Trees will continue to provide high quality school lunches to all our students at one of the lowest prices in the area. We thank you for your support of the program.
