Just like people are seeing with their home grocery bills, the rising cost of food is also impacting the school system. As a result, students will be paying more for their school lunches during the 2022-23 school year.
At Monday’s School Board meeting, School Nutrition Director David Lightner presented several bid renewals for food and supplies. The bid renewals were for August Produce (fresh produce), PET Dairy (milk and dairy) and Coke (low-calorie beverages).
He also presented a new bid from US Foods, which supplies most of the school system’s food and supplies. The school system procures food and supplies as a part of the Far-West Co-op, which includes Macon, Jackson, Clay, Cherokee, Swain, Graham and Cherokee Central Schools.
Lightner said US Foods increased the fixed fees from $1.70 to $6 per case for the upcoming school year, which will cost Macon County Schools an estimated $150,000.
“Due to the fact that US Foods was our only bidder, we had no other option but to approve them as our food and supply vendor for the upcoming school year,” he said.
As a result, the board approved an increase in the cost of school lunches. The increase averages $1 per meal across all grade levels. The meals will be $3.75 for PreK-4th grade and $3.85 for 5th-12th grade.
Board Member Hilary Wilkes said it seemed like a lot and asked if there was something that could be done to help parents cover the extra cost. She said she is constantly putting money on her kids’ accounts, and with the increase it could be an extra $10 a week. “So, I know exactly how that feels,” she said. “That’s pretty significant.”
Superintendent Chris Baldwin said because the expenses were more than expected there was not money set aside in the budget for school lunches, but the board could reallocate money from other areas to go toward school lunches
Lightner said for the past two years the school system has been able to use COVID waivers to offer all students free breakfast and lunch. “These waivers are due to expire, and as a result, we will have to offer school meals based upon free, reduced, or paid status for the 2022-23 school year,” he said. “The price increase is a result of an estimated $210,000 increase in food cost and wages for the 2022-23 school year.”
The school system will continue to offer free breakfast for all students. Union Academy and East Franklin Elementary qualify as Community Eligibility Provision schools, which means all students receive free lunches at those schools.
“We will be available to help families complete free and reduced lunch applications,” Lightner said.
The application for free and reduced lunches is available on the school system website, macon.k12.nc.us. Click on “Nutrition” under the Departments tab.
Board member Melissa Evans asked if there was a plan for how the school system would respond if there was a shortage of food. Evans said she wasn’t trying to use scare tactics. “It’s something I feel like as a school system we need to actually think about. That there may come a time when we can’t actually get enough food to feed our students.”
Superintendent Chris Baldwin said it would a challenge to find enough space to store food long term, and they could possibly look at other county facilities. The school system serves about 1,500 breakfasts per day and 2,000 lunches.
“It would be good to have a plan,” Evans said.