Canton School Lunch Prices Increasing by 25 Cents Next Year

Tuesday night, the Board of Education voted to accept Superintendent Kevin Case's proposal to increase several fees, including school lunch prices by 25 cents. 

For the 2013-2014 school year, those increases will result in costs of $3 at Cherry Brook and Canton Intermediate School and $3.25 at Canton Middle and High schools. 

Case the lunch program has a current deficit of more than $30,000. While the Whitsons Culinary Group absorbs that by contract, Case said the schools have an obligation to try and lower that number. 

School officials project the increase will raise an additional $20,000 in revenue. In addition, the schools now now get a six cents per meal reimbursement for a healthy meal certification, which should bring in another $5,000, Case added. 

The last time lunch prices increased was 2008. 

Tuesday night the Board of Education also approved increasing the per-session, first child fee for the Canton Parents as Teachers program from $50 to $150. It is part of an effort to make that program self sustaining and the 2013-2014 CPAT budget was trimmed by $20,000. 

School board member Peg Berry wondered whether such a large percentage increase could hurt the program and whether the board could perhaps work on more incremental increases in the future but the board ended up accepting it. 

In addition, pre-school tuition fees went up 20 percent, from $800 to $960 for three-year-old participants and from $1,000 to $1,200 for four-year-old participants. 

There were also some changes in the athletic fee structure, as detailed here.