School Board Votes to Raise School Lunch, Breakfast Prices

Editor's Note: Story has been updated with correct prices.

The Riverhead Board of Education voted to unanimously approve a 25 cent increase to school lunches and breakfasts at their meeting on Tuesday night.

Lunches will now cost $2.25 in the elementary schools, $2.50 in the middle school, and $2.75 in the high school, while breakfast in the three schools will be $1.25, $1.50 and $1.50 respectively.

The motion passed with no discussion or debate at the meeting.

After the meeting was adjourned, board president Ann Cotten-Degrasse said the district's hands were tied because of federal rules mandated by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.

Cotten-Degrasse said the federal government has a formula to determine school lunch prices in order to qualify for the free and reduced lunch programs offered to economically disadvantaged students. If schools fell below a certain amount, they were required to raise prices in order to offset the cost of the program.

"We've always been just near or at that line," Degrasse said. "It's a formula, and it showed we had to raise prices. We have to stay in the guidelines of the federal government."

Nearby school districts that are not involved with the national meal program, such as Shorham-Wading River, will not be affected by the increase.