Has your kiddos' school raised lunch prices?

**guest002** · 08-18-2008, 04:02 PM

Our elementary school has raised the price of school lunch to $2. I don't know if it's me or not but I think I'll be making my ds's lunch most of the time now. The menu doesn't inspire me to pay $10/week.

What's the price at your school and what is your thinking?

http://www.schoolnutritionandfitness...ember_2008.pdf

**xtena** · 08-18-2008, 04:07 PM

I don't know if it will go up this year or not, but last year it was 'only' 1.40 including milk. Not a bad price compared to a lot of places around the country, (we're in Clark County, Nevada) but my daughter isn't thrilled with most of the choices and I can certainly pack a healthy lunch for much less than that, so she mostly takes her own.

Edited to add: I just re-read your post and see you are from the Central Coast. Whereabouts? I lived in Marina, CA for a couple of years then we bought a mobile home in Salinas, but moved to North Las Vegas five years ago for cheaper housing, better employment opportunities for DH and because the 'gangbangers' were starting to encroach too close to our neighborhood for comfort.

Oh, I do miss the Central Coast, especially in the summer.

**guest002** · 08-18-2008, 04:08 PM

Doesn't that menu seem like a lot of cheaper/junk food?

**imagine** · 08-18-2008, 04:09 PM

Our lunch is 2.10 for the younger elementary ( up 10 cents this year)

Our school lunches are pretty well balance and the main dish is always hot (except for field trip days) I have eaten the lunches and they were big and filling. I don't know if they are similar to your lunches or not as the link said I didn't have permission to view the site you linked to.

For now, I still let my children pick if they want to eat hot lunch or pack there own. They check out the menu each day.

**nvmommyx6** · 08-18-2008, 04:13 PM

everything is up by a minimum of 25 cents!!
Mine pack their lunches, always have, always will!!

**justpeachy92** · 08-18-2008, 04:57 PM

Our elementary went up 20 cents, so is now $2. The high school lunch is $2.25, didn't have a high schooler last year so don't know what the old price was. My kids generally pack, except for pizza days.

**YankeeMom** · 08-18-2008, 05:17 PM

I can't see the menu, it says "403 Access Denied" or something similar.

The k-4 grades lunches are going up from $1 to $1.25. Their lunches are routinely: pizza (of some variety...personal pan, slice, calzones, etc), cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets (of some variety (fingers, nuggets, dinorsaur, etc), french toast, grilled cheese sandwich, tacos, lunchables, etc. Last year my boys actually started bringing their lunches more because even they were tired of pizza 2x/week every week. We are homeschooling them this year, so it won't be an issue for us.
Here's the elementary menu for next month:
http://www.watertowncsd.org/files/Ad...ele%20menu.pdf

The high school fare seems to be much better. They have more choices, healthier choices, and their menu changes more often. They don't serve the same 9 meals every other week. They're lunch price is rising too...from $1.25 to $1.50. I realize this is cheap compared to a lot of places around the country.
Here is the high school menu:
http://www.watertowncsd.org/files/Ad...ele%20menu.pdf

**Parksfamily5** · 08-18-2008, 05:18 PM

Our elementary went from 1.75 to 2.00 this year. I don't think the price is too bad but the menu leaves a lot to be desired. I know they work with what they can but I will pack lunches that are better.

**Neeley** · 08-18-2008, 05:20 PM

DD just started going to a traditional school this year after being home schooled for a few years. I am not sure what the price for high school lunches was last year, but this year they are $2.25.

It seems to be pretty uncool(OK - according to my step-sister who graduated two years ago from the same HS DD attends, it is just down right nerdy) to bring your lunch. Everyone either buys or doesn't eat. You know how it goes, in high school image is everything - LOL. DD can't go from 7:00 to 3:30 without eating something so she just buys everyday. She and her 2 friends split her lunch. They are served the basic lunches, pizza, burgers, taco salad, salads, chicken, etc... They get a meat, 3 sides and either a milk, apple/orange juice, bottled water or tea. They may not be the most nutritional meals, but I can compensate by making her good meals for breakfast and dinner.

**jas** · 08-18-2008, 05:40 PM

We live in Florida, my dd is in high school, her lunch went up from 1.40 last year to 1.80 this year.

I gave her the choice to either buy lunch and then take the bus or take her lunch and me drive her. She does NOT want to ride the bus but, I'm sure she will cornswaggle me into both.

**jamie79** · 08-18-2008, 05:59 PM

My sons in h.s and they raised it this yr to $2.40 a day. They have alot of choices including a salad bar. He wont take a lunch from home anymore. Just refuses too. I think most of the kids buy and thats why. So what can I do?

**Mom23boys** · 08-18-2008, 06:37 PM

Ours went up from $2.00 a lunch to $2.20 for lunch. My boys take their lunch, so we do not worry about it too much.

**WV_mom_of2** · 08-18-2008, 06:53 PM

I have one in middle school and one in high school. Their lunch went from 1.25 last year to 1.45 this year. They get NO choices except what kind of milk to drink. They do have a salad bar that goes along with lunch but most of the time it's wiped out by the time they get there, especially at the high school. According to dd they have noone that watches over it so if one person really likes something on it, they take it all!

Lunches here are junk food 90% of the time and they get very little. My kids always complain that it doesn't taste very good and they don't get full. We will be packing 98% of the time this year. I'd rather know that they eat. And I am so glad we have a school where it's not uncool to pack!

**xtena** · 08-18-2008, 07:12 PM

Originally Posted by jamie79

My sons in h.s and they raised it this yr to $2.40 a day. They have alot of choices including a salad bar. He wont take a lunch from home anymore. Just refuses too. I think most of the kids buy and thats why. So what can I do?

Does he get an allowance? If so make him buy lunch using his allowance. Or at least part of it (if his allowance isn't enough). If he's over 16, consider having him look for a part time/weekend job and using that to buy lunch.

**xtena** · 08-18-2008, 07:13 PM

Here's an additional thought: for the high school kids that *refuse* to pack a lunch, can they at least be persuaded to bring granola bars, protein bars, fruit etc. to eat between classes or at lunch?