by RICHARD KERNS
Tribune Staff Writer
KEYSER — Facing the need to control what amounts to a million-dollar annual subsidy of the school meal program, the Mineral County Board of Education Tuesday night adopted a 10-cent increase in the price of school meals.
In approving the increase, school board members encouraged staff to redouble their efforts to promote the availability of free and reduced-price lunches for low-income families.
Superintendent Skip Hackworth proposed the increase as an unfortunate but necessary measure to address not only the increasing cost of furnishing meals to the school system's 4,600 students, but also to provide for regular, incremental increases, rather than larger increases every few years.
“This is not something that we enjoy proposing to you...,” Hackworth said of the increase. “We did not want to have to do a quarter increase.”
School Board member Terry LaRue voted against the increase, noting that the school system has now increased its meal prices the past three consecutive years. He said the increase is especially hard on larger families that don't qualify for free or reduced-price meals, and could face annual school-meal bills of $1,800 or more.
“I know there's a need there, but my concern has been and will continue to be for the families with four, five or six children, that don't meet the criteria for free and reduced...,” he said. “I just have a
problem with it, especially with the way the economy's been.”
With the 10-cent increase – approved on a 4-1 vote -- the price for lunch in grades Pre-K through eight will increase from $1.30 to $1.40. In the high schools, lunch will increase from $1.55 to $1.65. Breakfast for all grades will be $1.00 – up from 90 cents.
Adult lunches, which by state policy must reflect the full cost of the meal, will increase 50 cents, to $4.50.
Hackworth noted that even with the increase, Mineral County students will be paying less than many other students in the region.
“It still keeps us well below our neighbors, but it helps us more fully pay for our lunch costs,” he said.
Board member Mary Aronhalt joined LaRue in expressing concern for families whose budgets are strapped by other expenses. “It is a hardship,” she said.
Still, Assistant Superintendent for Finance Steve Peer noted that the school system is regularly cited by state officials for failing to more fully cover the costs of meals through its lunch prices. Even with the 10 cent increase, the school system subsidy for meals will top $1 million.
“I know it's a difficult decision, but as your financial advisor I recommend approval,” he said.
Peer noted that the system-wide impact of the price increase could be significantly reduced if more families took advantage of free and reduced-price meals – programs funded by the federal government. The school system mailed applications for the program earlier this summer, and will send them home again the first day of school.
Peer said federal officials have loosened the eligibility criteria so that families with even moderate incomes can take advantage of the assistance. “The guidelines are becoming more liberal and people need to take advantage of it,” he said.
Peer said use of free and reduced tends to fall off in the high school years, perhaps because of perceived stigma. At Keyser Primary Middle School, just over 50 percent of the students receive free or reduced-price meals. At Keyser High, the percentage drops to the high 30s.
“That's a large discrepancy,” Hackworth said.
Hackworth pledged to work through the local media and the school system's public-notification program to encourage more families to apply for the assistance. Anyone who has not received an application can contact the school board offices and one will be mailed to them.
Keyser, W.Va. —
