EVSC lunch prices may increase for 2019-20 school year

Segann March
Evansville

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Student lunch prices across elementary, middle and high school grade levels may increase this upcoming school year. 

The Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp. Board on Monday was presented with the idea of raising lunch prices for students who are not categorized under free and/or reduced lunch.  No school board member commented on the proposal. 

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The EVSC's required price average — outlined under the Paid Lunch Equity requirement — for the 2019-20 school year is $2.23 with a state exemption. The district's current lunch price hovers around $2.14 daily. 

The administration outlined the following proposal for the 2019-20 school year to meet the PLE requirement:

  • Elementary student lunch prices would move from $2 to $2.15.
  • Middle school students lunch prices would move from $2.15 to $2.20. 
  • High School lunch prices would move from $2.35 to $2.40

Breakfast prices for all students and adult lunch prices will remain unchanged, according to school board documents. The last system-wide school lunch price increase occurred during the 2017-18 school year. 

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Breakfast packets served to students entering the Fairfield Elementary School in Fort Wayne on April, 26, 2019, as part of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program which reimburses eligible public and private school systems and schools for serving meals free of charge to all students.

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During the June 10 school board meeting, board members approved enrolling 20 high-poverty EVSC schools in the Community Eligibility Provision program, a federal grant allowing school districts nationwide to provide breakfast and lunch at no charge to all students. 

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Schools selected to participate in the pilot program: Deleware Elementary, Caze Elementary, Cedar Hall Community School, Academy for Innovative Studies, Harwood Career Preparatory High School, Culver Elementary, Daniel Wertz Elementary, Dexter Elementary, Evans School, Fairlawn Elementary, Glenwood Leadership Academy, Harper Elementary, Lodge Community School, Lincoln School, McGary Middle School, Stockwell Elementary, Stringtown Elementary, Vogel Elementary, Washington Middle School, and Tekoppel Elementary. 

Superintendent David Smith said EVSC has been looking into the program for two years, though EVSC has repeatedly said no, fearing CEP would jeopardize the 23,000 student district's Title I funding. 

Title I provides supplemental assistance to schools to improve the academic achievement of at-risk students and students living at or near poverty level.

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