Rising food prices hit school cafeterias - EagleTribune.com, North Andover, MA

The cost of eggs is up 19 percent, milk is up 13.3 percent and fresh oranges are up 20 percent over this time last year.

Multiply those food increases by the 450,000 lunches the Andover school district serves every year and a spike in student lunch prices is unavoidable, said Food Service Director Gail Koutroubas.

The Andover school district will raise prices for its elementary school lunches from $2.25 to $2.50 to cover the extra cost of food and health insurance for employees.

It is not alone. North Andover, Methuen and Haverhill recently raised school lunch prices. Lawrence, which still serves lunch for less than a dollar a day, may also be looking at a future increase.

"Food costs are going up an average 11 percent next year," Koutroubas said. "In order to keep serving fresh fruits and vegetables, we need to make that increase."

Koutroubas said the district has focused on health in its lunches over the last year. White bread has been replaced by multigrain and whole wheat bread. Fresh fruits and vegetables, often from local farmers, are offered. Juice products are made from 100 percent juice.

Koutroubas said the changes have attracted the students, with more children buying lunches and more of them eating the fresh fruits and vegetables.

"A lot of those things come at a cost," Koutroubas said.

Prices were increased at Andover's middle school and high school by a quarter for the 2007-2008 school year, so those prices will stay the same this fall at $2.75 and $3.

Andover lunch prices are the highest of the surrounding communities, but others are climbing as well. School districts cite the rising cost of food, transportation and utilities as the ingredients for the higher price.

The North Andover School Committee voted earlier this month to increase the cost of school lunches by 25 cents for the 2008-2009 school year, meaning a jump to $2.25 for elementary school lunches and $2.75 for middle school and high school lunches.

Methuen also increased school lunch prices from $1.90 to $2 at the elementary school, $2.15 to $2.25 at the middle school and from $2.25 to $2.50 at the high school.

"It's because of increased food costs and increased delivery costs," bookkeeper Sandy Gilbert said. "Milk prices are going out of control."

This is the second year in a row for price increases for North Andover and Methuen. The Haverhill School Committee did not approve a price increase last fall, but the School Committee approved a 50 cent increase for this fall because the lunch account ran a $240,000 deficit over the last two years.

"We are in a hole, and we need to get out of it," Superintendent Raleigh Buchanan said. "Nobody wants to do it."

The 50 cent increase would put elementary school lunches at $2.25, middle school lunches at $2.35 and high school lunches at $2.50.

The Lawrence school district is keeping costs as low as it can at 75 cents, but School Committee member James Vittorioso said it is only a matter of time before lunch prices have to go up to keep up with the rising cost of food. He said the committee does not plan to vote for an increase over the summer, but might have to in January because no one is immune to the rising cost of food.

"Is it going to happen? Unfortunately," he said. "We are going to have to live with it."

Lunch prices 2007-2008

Town&Elementary school&Middle school&High school

Andover&$2.25&$2.75&$3

Haverhill&$1.75&$1.85&$2

Lawrence&$0.75&$0.75&$0.75

Methuen&$1.90&$2.15&$2.75

North Andover&$2&$2.50&$2.50

Lunch prices 2008-2009

Town&Elementary school&Middle school&High school

Andover&$2.50&$2.75&$3

Haverhill&$2.25&$2.35&$2.50