Mike Wolanin | The Republic An exterior view of the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation administration building in Columbus, Ind., Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022.
BCSC school meal prices will see a 10 cent bump next year.
School board members approved the increase, necessitated because of federal regulations that ensure there are sufficient funds in food service accounts for paid meals, according to BCSC Director of Food Services Nancy Millspaugh.
Schools are federally mandated to raise the price of student meals if they’re charging less than the national average, which is determined yearly, Millspaugh told the school board.
The current national average is $3.85. BCSC’s price is at about $3 a meal.
“It’ll help to pay for labor to produce the meals, it will mainly go towards providing higher quality foods,” Millspaugh said.
Millspaugh also relayed school meal participation statistics through the first semester of this year, showing a 15% increase in breakfast participation and 4% increase in lunch participation.
Reimbursable meals have to meet federal nutrition requirements as well and Millspaugh mentioned changes that will begin over the next couple of years.
“While we’re a big restaurant, we can’t just serve whatever you want, you have to have some strict regulations on certain nutrients,” Millspaugh told the board.
Some incoming USDA mandated requirements include product-based sugar limits on cereal, yogurt and flavored milk that will begin next year and a 10% limit for added sugars will start in July 2027. Millspaugh added that there will be no further sodium restrictions until June of 2027.
