Increased Food Prices Affecting SchoolsWhen school reconvenes, districts across the state may feel an extra pinch in their pockets when it comes time to pay the grocery bill. The School Nutrition Association (SNA) reports that food prices for certain items have increased anywhere from 12 to 17 percent. To keep up with the rising costs, SNA reports that one-third of districts have increased their full-paid lunch meal prices. According to the La Crosse Tribune, the School District of La Crosse had to shell out an extra $32,000 to meet the rising cost of milk during the 2007-08 school year. And with flour prices up, hamburger buns cost the School District of Onalaska about $5,000 more than in past years. School boards and district administrators may be faced with the decision of whether to increase lunch prices and/or divert funds into the school lunch program while seeking to increase meal participation and decrease expenses. Cindy Thesing, nutrition services supervisor for the School District of Holmen said she has seen lunch tickets go up anywhere from 15 to 50 cents. “That’s a large impact,” Thesing said. “Schools certainly want to keep that affordable but they also have to cover their expenses.” In Shorewood, the school board agreed to raise lunch prices to meet increased food costs but also to ensure a quality food service program. We have increased the food prices because we in Shorewood want our children to receive healthier foods,” Shorewood school board President Ruth Ann Treisman said. “We offer many fresh fruits and vegetables for the children.” One way to try and cut down on food costs is to buy locally grown food. After losing money on its food service program, the Pecatonica School District has been considering this option. “We are looking at a number of local farms to see if we can get a better deal locally and avoid all that transportation and storage cost,” Pecatonica school board president Richard Rolfsmeyer said. “We might get fresher food at lower cost.” | 
Food Prices Affecting Schools
