Meal Prices To Increase At Salem Schools

SALEM, NH — The Salem School Board has voted to increase the school meal prices for the second year in a row. The prices will increase by 10 cents across the board for all Salem public schools for breakfast and lunch, effective this fall. According to Superintendent Michael Delahanty, the price increases reflect increased labor costs and the anticipated increases in food costs.

"As long as we can sustain participation at this price we could earn another $30,000 for lunch and another $7,000 for breakfast," he told the School Board during Tuesday's School Board meeting. The board voted unanimously to raise the prices in a 4-0 vote.

At Salem High School, prices will increase from $1.80 to $1.90 for breakfast and from $2.70 to $2.80 for lunch. At the middle school, breakfast price will increase from $1.50 to $1.60 and lunch price will increase from $2.45 to $2.55. At the elementary schools, breakfast price will increase from $1.20 to $1.30 and lunch price will increase from $2.30 to $2.40.

"We are still below what the other school districts pay," said Delahanty, stating that the Salem district's meal prices remain competitive. He said that Food Service Director Michael Ouellette has done a great job in having the School District offer new, quality food options with fresher ingredients to keep students interested in buying school meals.

Delahanty noted that the food service program is self-funded through meal revenues, without investments by the taxpayers. Next fiscal year, School District administrators expect a rise in food costs, in addition to increased labor costs as a result of wage increases in the approved collective bargaining agreements.

The higher meal prices will also help ensure the School District food program has enough cash on hand to be able to deal with fluctuations in the number of students buying lunch — more students buy school meals in the fall, and then participation typically drops in the winter due to vacation, snow days and other factors. Participation then typically picks up in early spring before dropping down again toward the end of the school year, said Delahanty.

The food service program currently has about $60,000 in cash on hand, and Delahanty said he would be more comfortable with having $80,000 to $100,000. Having more money to work with would help prepare for any anticipated costs such as equipment repairs and spikes in food costs.

This is the second year in a row that food prices have increased in the district. Last year the prices also increased by 10 cents, said Delahanty. Students with free or reduced lunch are not affected by the increases. The reduced lunch program uses meal prices that are set by the federal government.