Board hikes school breakfast, lunch prices

MEEKER — Prices for school breakfasts and lunches will go up next year.
School board members approved the increases at a meeting June 2.
The lunch price will go up 50 cents, to $2.75, while the breakfast price will increase 25 cents, to $1.50.
Even with the price hike, the cost of a school breakfast or lunch is still a deal, said Superintendent Dan Evig.
“You can’t pack a lunch for that,” Evig said.
Based on income guidelines, students may also qualify for free or reduced meals, as part of a federally supported program.
In other money matters, the school board is expected to approve a preliminary budget at its next meeting, June 16, Evig said.
“We haven’t made huge changes,” Evig said of the district’s more than $6 million budget.
Those changes include increasing the sports activity fee by $10 per sport for the high school, from $40 to $50, and increasing the one-time fee for middle school athletes from $40 to $50.
“We feel like that’s a reasonable increase,” Evig said. “We haven’t increased them in a number of years.”
As far as summer events, the board reviewed the district’s policies for transporting students to and from activities.
“We discussed … the insurance, the amount we charge per mile, for things not necessarily school sponsored,” Evig said. “We’re trying to save folks money, but it has to come from somewhere. The administration was asked to come back to the board (with a recommendation) … so it’s equitable for everybody. We should have something for our next meeting.”
Also at the June 2 meeting, the board approved the purchase of an air conditioner for the computer lab at the new elementary school, which is scheduled to be completed in June 2010.
“The board decided to air condition the computer lab area,” Evig said. “That’s a cost of about $12,000. The board chose not to air condition the library at this time, but we may have funds to do that as the project goes on.”
The board’s next meeting will be the last one for Evig, who is retiring.
“The 16th meeting will be my last time,” Evig said. “I should have most things cleared up by then, and the budget will be done, so I’ll probably take off after that.
“Then I’ll start doing all the things my wife (Barb) wants me to do,” Evig joked. “Talk about going from the frying pan into the fire.”