Bigfork school lunch prices to increase by 25 cents this fall

The Bigfork School District Trustees approved a 25-cent increase in school lunch prices effective this fall. The price increase is due to three factors, increase in food costs, increase in salaries, and the new federal requirement to increase fresh fruit and vegetable servings.

Current school lunch prices are $2 for kindergarten through sixth-grade students, $2.50 for seventh through 12th, and $3 for adults. Starting this fall they will be $2.25 for kindergarten through sixth-grade students, $2.75 for seventh through 12th-grade, and $3.25 for adults.

Although Bigfork schools are increasing their lunch price, they are still cheaper than neighboring schools. Kalispell School lunch prices are $2.20 for kindergarten through fifth-grade students and $2.60 for sixth through 12th. In Whitefish, it’s $2.50 for kindergarten through sixth-grade students and $2.75 for seventh through 12th. In Columbia Falls, it’s $2.50 for kindergarten through sixth-grade students and $3.00 for seventh through 12th.

Each year the Bigfork School cafeterias lose $16,000 because they want to keep prices affordable for their students, according to Bigfork schools’ district clerk and business manager, Eda Taylor. This loss in revenue is covered by the high school and elementary school’s general funds. Each school contributes $8,000 annually.

“It’s been a couple of years since we raised our prices, it’s not something we look to do,” board chair, Maureen Averill, said. “We have a lot of families on free and reduced meals. Our food costs go up every year and $16,000 a year is huge.”

There will be no increase for school breakfast costs during the 2012-13 school year. Current breakfast prices of $1.25 for kindergarten through sixth-grade students, $1.50 for seventh through 12th, and $1.75 for adults.

“I think the district has been really conservative on asking families to pay more,” Bigfork Elementary School Principal Matt Jensen said. “It’s a big commitment, but some families have a hard time paying it now, and kids need to eat.”

In other Bigfork School District news, the board of trustees also approved a transportation contract buyout in order to consolidate the bus routes. Currently, some routes have 30 students and others have eight.

It is the board’s intention that eliminating one route and then rearranging the rest will create a more even distribution of students on each bus.

“Economically, it doesn’t make sense to keep some routes,” Bigfork High School Principal Matt Porrovecchio said. “The main reason we’re taking one route out is because the student numbers have changed but the routes have not.”