Wichita schools will see an increase in lunch prices, but help may be available
The price of school lunch will increase by 25 cents in the Wichita district this fall.
USD 259 operations divisions director Fabián Armendáriz said the decision was not made by the district, but at the federal level by the United States Department of Agriculture.
“USDA, which oversees school lunch programs, basically states that we need to analyze meal pricing every year in order to remain compliant ... Because of increased cost of food, our average cost to produce meals has increased; so we are looking at a 25-cent increase on all levels in order to remain solid and compliant,” Armendáriz said.
The increase is set to start on July 1, 2022. Elementary school lunches would go from $2.35 to $2.60; middle school lunches from $2.50 to $2.75; and high school lunches from $2.65 to $2.90, according to numbers presented to the school board.
The increase comes after the district offered free lunches to students over the past two years as part of pandemic relief efforts.
About 25 percent of families — those who do not qualify or apply for free or reduced lunches — will be affected by the price increase, Amendáriz said.
School breakfasts will be free for any student, he said.
Families are encouraged to fill out the free and reduced meal form during enrollment.
“A lot has changed over the past couple of years, and we believe that a lot of families will qualify for free and reduced meals. I also want to reassure families that information is federally protected. There’s a lot of confidentiality that happens internally to maintain that information,” Armendáriz said.
The district’s open enrollment process begins July 1.