Bellinghame Public Schools

News & Information


Imported Content: 
Department Owner: 
DATE: June 13, 2008 11:31:18 PST

      New meal prices for the 2008-09 school year were set at the June 12 Bellingham School District Board meeting to help offset the rising cost of food nationally. Families on limited income who qualify for free and reduced meals will not be affected. Applications and information about applying for free and reduced meals for next school year will soon be posted at http://www.bham.wednet.edu/departments/foodservices/foodservices.htm

      For the previous two years, the district has been able to operate a break-even food service program without a meal price increase due to numerous cost-saving measures implemented in both the personnel and food cost areas. Unfortunately, the district is not able to balance  food services revenues and expenditures next year without a meal price increase of 25 cents. Also impacting food service program costs are a state Legislature-approved wage increase of 5.4 to 7.4 percent, health benefit increase of 3.5 percent and a pension rate increase of 2 percent. Nationwide food costs, which have jumped 3 percent since January of this year, are likely to continue to increase. For example, the price for a pint of milk, federally mandated with each meal served, has increased from 18 cents to 24 cents,  a 33 percent increase in the past year.

      "We are feeling the impact of rising food costs. We need to balance our food budget and not redirect resources away from the classroom for this purpose," says Assistant Superintendent of Business and Operations Ron Cowan. "We want to encourage all qualifying families to sign up for federally-supported free and reduced meals."

      School meals for the 2008-09 school year will be:

    • Free for qualifying students.
    • Reduced for qualifying students. $0.40*
    • Breakfast (all grades), $1.50
    • Elementary lunch, $2.50
    • Breakfast (adults, who are welcome to eat at school with their child), $2.00
    • Middle School lunch , $2.75
    • High School lunch, $3.00
    • Lunch (adults), $3.75

       * The State of Washington has a budget program that eliminates the .40 cent co-pay for K-12 students eligible for reduced price breakfast , and K-3 students eligible for reduced price lunch.

      For more information about the Bellingham School District's food services program, nutritional standards and more, click here or call 676-6504.