School-lunch prices rising in SW Valley

Southwest Valley schools are feeling the economic pinch in their pocketbooks and lunchrooms.

Higher food and transportation costs have led some local districts to raise lunch prices this school year.

The booming housing economy from just a few years ago led to rapid expansion that also affected the food-service budget of growing districts.

"We've expanded our meal program because of all the new schools we've built," said Roger Freeman, superintendent of Avondale-based Littleton Elementary School District, which has six campuses.

School food services are self-sustaining. They mostly rely on federal reimbursements, which sometimes come months after school starts. Freeman said his district compared prices with surrounding districts and found Littleton's lunch prices were lower, at $1.25 per meal. When the school year started this month, Littleton's lunch prices went up to $1.50 per meal, and should go up again next year.

"We wanted to do a 50-cent increase, but after meeting with the parent advisory group, we decided to make that increase over two years," he said. "Now we have to scrimp and save in the meantime to make ends meet. That way, we're not hitting parents all at once."

Students who qualify for free and reduced lunches make up about 70 percent of the district population. Those students are still paying 40 cents per meal, the same as last year.

"In our case, it's a smaller percentage of parents who have to take the hit," Freeman said.

In the Tonopah area, Saddle Mountain Unified School District last year lost almost $16,000 on food-service meals, which amounts to about 9 cents per lunch, said Sandy Wilkins, district business manager.

"We had no choice. We had to charge the appropriate price per year," Wilkins said. "We've got to have some cash in the bank next year so we can purchase food before the school year starts."

Saddle Mountain increased lunch prices by 15 cents at elementary schools and 25 cents at high schools. The district now charges $1.50 at its three elementary schools and $2.25 at Tonopah Valley High School.

In districts such Buckeye Elementary, innovation is the key for food-service administrators who lost the fight to raise cafeteria prices.

The district uses a co-op company to purchase food and has only part-time staff in the cafeteria.

"It's been more difficult," said Carol Barton, food-service director for the Buckeye Elementary School District. "This year will be more on the stressful side because we haven't increased our prices." Lunch remains $1.50 per meal.

Besides relying on federal reimbursements, lunch money is the only other increase that food-service departments can implement. Most districts are just looking to break even in the cafeteria.

Rudy Escontrias, 10, gets his lunch at the cafeteria at Littleton Elementary in Avondale.