School lunch prices in Ketchikan will increase next year. How much will be discussed at Wednesday’s regular Ketchikan Gateway Borough School Board meeting.
The increase would be part of incremental increases over time in order to comply with a U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulation that average lunch prices be comparable to the free lunch reimbursement rate, currently at $4.38 per lunch. According the National School Lunch Program, in 2014 about 35% of Ketchikan students received free lunch.
Superintendent Robert Boyle recommends the Board increase lunch prices by 25 cents per lunch, bringing K-8 to $3.25 and grades 9-12 to $3.50.
The USDA mandate requires an increase of at least 10 cents, but Boyle says increasing by a quarter will make lunchtime transactions more manageable. The school lunch price last was increased in 2010.
The School Board also will consider three new hires, the Indian Education and Quality Schools grant applications, and an adjustment to the Tongass School of Arts and Science’s 2015-2016 school calendar.
Public comment will be heard at the start and end of the meeting. The School Board meets Wednesday in Borough Assembly Chambers at the White Cliff building, beginning at 6 pm.
