news-record.com

GREENSBORO — Guilford County students might need to carry more pocket change when they return to class if they’re going to keep going through the school cafeteria line.

The Board of Education will consider increasing school lunch prices by 50 cents for elementary school students and 30 cents for middle and high school students.

“I don’t think we have much choice other than to raise prices,” school board member Kris Cooke said.

Cooke said parents who earn just above the qualifying line for free or reduced lunches will be hardest hit by a lunch price increase.

The proposed price increase is one of several cafeteria-related measures the board will consider in its meeting this evening as it tries to close the gap on a lunchroom budget shortfall projected at more than $3.2 million.

The largest increase in that total is the $503,000 in unpaid meals. That amount was $102,000 at the end of the 2007-08 fiscal year.

“If people are looking for indicators of what’s going on in the economy, I think that’s a huge indicator,” said Sharon Ozment, the school system’s chief financial officer.

Letters have been sent to parents in an effort to get those debts paid, but Ozment said the district will have no choice but to write the amount off after June 30.
 

The price increase would mean an elementary student would pay $2.30 for lunch, up from $1.80; middle school students would pay $2.40 and high school students would pay $2.50.

The proposed increases would not affect the approximately 50 percent of Guilford County students who receive a free or reduced-price lunch.

“It’s still a very reasonably priced meal when you consider how much you pay to eat out,” said Sharon Shepard, president of the Guilford County Council of PTAs. “There are a lot of things that are going to have to change this year because of the budget cuts. I think what parents are more concerned about is the number of teachers being cut from the classroom.”

Shepard said as school officials consider these changes, they need to make every effort to keep meals healthful.

The school board has increased lunch prices twice since July 1993, most recently two years ago by 20 cents for all grade levels.

Even with the proposed increases, Guilford County school lunches would be cheaper than neighboring Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools but more expensive than lunches in Mecklenburg and Wake counties.

District officials are also proposing cutting the number of meal entrees offered from four to two and cutting the number of whole grains purchased by 25 percent.

Also under consideration are reducing cafeteria purchases such as not providing new uniforms for existing employees, delaying the purchase of new cafeteria computers, and reducing the number of van rentals used to deliver meals to nontraditional schools such as middle and early college sites.

The proposal does not include cutting back hours for cafeteria workers, a recommendation floated earlier this year.

Contact J. Brian Ewing at 373-7351 or brian.ewing@news-record.com