No more free meals for all. Fayette schools could raise breakfast price 65 cents, lunch 25.

Fayette school board members are considering a proposal to raise student breakfast prices by 65-cents and student lunch prices by 25-cents for the upcoming school year.

For the last two years, all Fayette students ate free due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The proposed increase – the district’s first since the 2016-17 school year – would impact 18 schools, but not 49 Fayette schools where all students receive free meals, district officials said in a Monday night message.

Due to a federal program known as the Community Eligibility Provision or CEP, students at the majority of schools in the district eat for free, regardless of family income.

To qualify for this program, schools must have a certain percentage of families who qualify for federal assistance. At the 18 schools not in the CEP program, students can still qualify for free meals based on family income.

The price increase is needed to stay in compliance with federal requirements, district officials said.

Breakfast would increase from $1.35 to $2 for breakfast at all grades. Prices would increase from $2.50 to $2.75 for lunch at elementary schools and from $2.75 to $3 for lunch at middle and high schools.

District nutrition director Michelle Coker said breakfast prices had not been increased since 2011. The last increase in lunch prices was in 2016-17, she said.

Board chairman Tyler Murphy asked if the proposed price increases were comparable to other area districts. Coker said they were.

This story was originally published July 26, 2022 at 10:43 AM.