Henrico School Board approves slight cost increase for school breakfasts, lunches
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The Henrico School Board voted unanimously May 8 to authorize slight price increases for student and adult meals, with officials saying the change was necessary to address rising costs.
Full-price student breakfasts will increase from $1.50 to $1.75 beginning in the fall, while full-price student lunches will increase by 10 cents to $3. The cost for adult breakfasts will increase by 10 cents, to $2.85, and the cost for adult lunches will jump by 20 cents to $4.85.
The last time student lunches increased in cost in the county was the 2019-20 school year, and it’s been nearly a decade since the cost of student breakfasts increased, according to school system officials.
“These are minor increases that are necessary due to making sure we’re keeping pace with rising costs, but still remain competitive and even lower than most of our neighboring counties,” Henirco Schools Superintendent Amy Cashwell said.
In Henrico, students at 49 schools are able to receive free meals, because those schools qualify for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Community Eligibility Provision program, which provides free breakfasts and lunches to schools that serve a high percentage of low-income families.
The changes approved by the school board will not affect those schools or students, Henrico Schools Chief Financial Officer John Wack said.
But a proposal in the U.S. Congress could eliminate 43 of those 49 schools from the program, eliminating free meals for more than 27,000 Henrico students.
Even with the increases, Henrico will be even with or below the prices of most other local school divisions, Wack said.
“We have actually held back on increasing our breakfast and lunch prices in recent years despite the inflation,” he told the board, “and so this is just a portion of cost recovery for the school system.”
Hanover County charges $2 for student breakfasts, $3.45 for elementary school student lunches, $3.50 for middle school student lunches and $3.60 for high school student lunches. Adult breakfasts are $2.73 and adult lunches are $4.65.
Chesterfield County charges $2.25 for student breakfasts, $3.25 for elementary school student lunches and $3.50 for lunches for middle and high school students. Goochland County charges $1.45 for student breakfasts, $3 for elementary school student lunches and $3.15 for middle and high school student lunches.
All students in Richmond can receive free breakfasts and lunches because the overall division qualifies for the Community Eligibility Provision program.
