School lunch prices in Harford likely will rise for the first time in nine years, and parents can blame soaring dairy, corn and gas costs.
A proposal to raise the cost of elementary and middle school lunches is expected to be passed by the Harford Board of Education next week.
The cost of cows? food, corn, has nearly doubled in the past year, said John Sullivan, head of the county?s division of agricultural development. And cheese costs have increased more than 50 percent.
“It?s been kind of a perfect storm in the last months, causing prices to go up,” said Gary Childress, supervisor of school food services. “Hopefully, we?ve seen the last of it.”
But the food system, which has a $5.5 million budget, has always tried to limit increases.
“It?sa difficult balance, because we never designed our food program to profit; it?s never been profitable,” school board president Thomas Fidler said.
About 45,000 students will be affected by the increase, Childress said.
“We want to make it as affordable to all students as we can,” he said. “When you?re serving that many kids, it makes a huge difference.”
He expected no opposition from the board.
“America in general has had the fortune of having a relatively cheap supply of food for a long time, and a lot of that has been on the backs of farmers,” Sullivan said.
LUNCH PRICE CHANGES
» Middle schools: $1.90 to $2.10
» Elementary schools: $1.70 to $1.90
» Savings to the county: $270,000
