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Last year HISD paid 36-point-four million dollars for its school meal program. The cost this coming school year is expected to jump to 41-million dollars. HISD’s Terry Abbott says produce prices are up 20%, milk 14% and the cost of bread is up 8%.
“We have not had a price increase for our food in more than five years. In fact, we rolled our prices back in 2004 and held them there, but now unfortunately we have to raise them.”
If the board approves the increases, Abbott says the cost of student lunches will go up 20-cents and adult lunches will increase by 30-cents.
Abbott says the new prices still won’t cover HISD’s food expenses.
“We’ll still be nearly a million dollars short in revenue compared to the cost of the food that we have to buy.”
Abbott says because breakfast is such an important meal, HISD breakfasts will continue to be provided free everyday.