Education

Money Lessons: How Schools Are Cutting Back

(WCCO) Minnesota families are already feeling the pinch at the grocery store and at the gas station. And when the bell rings this fall high gas prices, food costs and heating bills are likely going to hurt our schools.

Checking with a half-dozen metro districts, every single one of them is either raising their lunch or milk prices this year, meaning Minnesota parents and children will be paying more for lunch this fall.

Anoka-Hennepin is the largest school district in the state, and its new price plan is typical. Lunch is going up 20 cents from $1.80 to $2.00 for younger kids, and from $1.95 to $2.15 for high schoolers.

The district had hoped to hold the line on milk but cartons will increase 10 cents to 50 cents apiece.

"The milk has just gone up faster than almost anything else. We've seen increases in the last year of 18 to 20 percent of milk," said Sarah Schwartz of the Anoka-Hennepin School District.

Minneapolis is not increasing lunch prices but its milk cartons will cost 15 cents more. St. Paul Schools will be raising its lunches by 15 cents and milk will go up by 10 cents.

St. Paul district officials said its bread flour costs are up 108 percent, pasta is up 14 percent and rice is up 22 percent.

Still, most districts don't plan to change their basic menus. Parents like Connie Fernandez are not surprised by the hike.

"Looking at what I pay here at the grocery store I'm happy that's all its going up," said Fernandez.

None of these increases will affect the free lunch programs offered to low-income students.

In St. Paul, 70 percent of children qualify for free lunches, and in Anoka County that figure is closer to 40 percent.

 

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