West Chester School District to Increase Lunch Prices

The Property and Finance Committee voted to increase lunches for all grades by 10 cents on Monday night, moving the price for elementary students to $2.10 and $2.35 for middle and high school students.

In the fall of 2010, the federal government passed a law that requires schools to charge the same amount of money for lunches as the federal reimbursement rate for students that qualify for free lunch.

Currently, the federal reimbursement rate for free lunch is $2.51, well above the district’s current level.  The same federal law restricts districts from raising their lunch prices by more than 10 cents every year.

Currently, the West Chester School District’s lunch prices are two cents below the county average for elementary students, equal with the average for middle school students and 14 cents below the average for high school students.

The most expensive lunches in the county belong to Phoneixville School District.  It charges $2.80 for high school lunches.  Avon Grove has the cheapest lunches with elementary students paying $1.65.