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Read comments (15)Nutrition supervisor Janet Clarkson presented a proposed price list, which was approved by the board. Food prices have been rising in recent months.
Under the new price list, lunch prices will be the same for elementary school students as they are for middle and high school students. In the past, elementary school lunches cost less because of smaller portion sizes, but various student health initiatives have resulted in the schools offering more fruit and vegetable options to the younger children, and so there's no longer a dramatic difference in the per-student cost to the school system.
K-5 student lunch prices are currently $1.60, while grades 6-12 pay $1.85. Under the new plan, the cost will be $2 for both groups.
Student breakfast prices, which were already the same for both groups, would rise from 85 cents to $1.
Meal prices for school employees and visitors would also rise.
According to a chart passed out by Clarkson, the increased prices would leave the county comparable to prices charged by other Middle Tennessee counties -- higher than some counties, lower than others.
Lawrence County will have the least expensive lunches, at $1.60 for elementary and $1.75 for high school, while Williamson County has the most expensive, at $2.50 for elementary and $2.75 for high school.
Clarkson also responded to a recent letter to the editor in the Times-Gazette which accused the Community Elementary lunch staff of unfairly denying a child lunch. Clarkson said the parent had not spoken to school officials before writing the letter, and that the parent had gotten some inaccurate information from her child about exactly what had happened.
Once the situation was explained to her she was apologetic, said Clarkson.
However, Clarkson did say the school is trying to improve its procedures for notifying parents when their child's lunch accounts are running low.
I have read all of the comments already made. I am a mother of a schoolaged student, and I work in the cafeteria. I take pride in my job and the service we provide for the students of Bedford County. I know that there are many, many parents that religiously keep up with their child's lunch account. I also know that there are as many that do not. I would like it if those of you who like to complain about the cafeterias would think outside of your box. You are thinking of your children at home, while the cafeteria ladies have hundreds of students in each school to consider. Time does not allow us the luxury of doing our jobs while watching out for your responsibilities also. If we could put the energy into watching out for our child's needs, we would not have to blame the cafeteria staff for our neglecting to keep up with their lunch money. It is simple, send their money every Monday, mark it in your check book or on a calendar, and refer back to it weekly. It really is as simple as that. As for the rise in the cost of school lunches, I have seen the costs of food rise unbelieveably in the past two years. At the school level as well as in the grocery store. The USDA does not pay for all of the food as some assume. Lunch prices have increased 3 times in the past 10 years , not every year. Everything is going up, and it is not the fault of the Nutrition Office. I have also sent sack lunches from home and can honestly say that to feed them a healthy lunch, it is more than $10 a week. How many of you think nothing of paying $2.60 to $4.00 for a pack of cigarettes, but complain about the prices of lunches? Times are hard for all of us. Let's work together to make things better instead of complaining and trying to place blame on people that have about as much control over the situation as you do.
I have already warned my kids that next year you will pick/choose which lunch you eat at school. I cannot afford that much of a jump including breakfast. Not to mention SSA clothes. Forget it, I can make lunch a heck of a lot cheaper than $2 per meal! I understand prices going up, but when my income is not, something has to give...and come on...a $.40 increase?! That's a lot for one year! Heaven knows if/when prices come down, we're not going to get a reduction in that price. It'll go up again next year. Might as well try to catch up with the high-rent district of Williamson county. Bedford county can afford it...NOT! And don't get me started on cafeteria issues! I tried paying for a child's lunch a few years ago and was told no. So, you'd let a child go hungry (just giving them a pb&j, nothing else) vs having a warm (ha) lunch?! And if you go over 1 day on your charge, that note comes home that same day! I am and will definately cut back on what I give/participate with next year. And when it comes time for the annual $25 classroom fee (per child), I may/may not be able to afford it.
rebelrose Good Job for you. That's why their are so many children and adults in this world now that are suffering, mentally and physically (depression, anger, malnutrition, poor health, etc.) because people have lost or just simply do not have good morals, and only want to do for themselves not others.
One statement and policy I liked that Pres. Bush made was "The No Child Left Behind". And that policy should not only apply to education, but the well being of a child altogether.
You done a great job thinking about someone elses' child, and wanting to help out. God will bless you for what you do for others. Those lady's in the cafeteria could have atleast sent a note home to those childrens parents, and told them they will give these children lunches for now, and ask them to fill out a free/reduce lunch form. That is really sad, and it "Does" impact a child phsycologicaly.
My children go to Community and I eat lunch with them and I have to pay almost $3 for my lunch- I have never understood that because I get the same lunch tray that they get! I advise EVERYONE to apply for free or reduced lunches!! I have 5 children, 4 that go to school until 2009 then all 5 will, so that would be $50 a week for school lunch!!!
Dianatn...YES there was alot of breakfast and lunch food put into the trash that they did not serve to the children...I remember 2 times a whole sheet of chicken and then a sheet of hamburger patties put into the trash....There were always alot of breakfast just tossed into the trash...This was for the Elem. School in Shelbyville...It was heart breaking to see that food wasted and only 30 minutes before that they would always turn down this brother and his little sister...You could tell that they did not have much by the way they came to school dressed...The little girl's hair was not combed and shoes not tied...Her brother was tring to take care of her before they went to class...I brought a brush to school after the 1st week there and would comb the little girls hair and tie her shoes and clean her hands and face along with her brother...I got chewed out several times for it by the head kitchen lady..I know if she reads this she will know who I am..And it has been 9 years ago now...I will never forget it..Then when they pulled me into the office for paying for those children to have breakfast I gave my notice the next day. I hated leaving ...But I could not stand to work some place that I would have to see children treated that way...I want even go into the way the handicapped children were done by the teacher in the lunchroom...That is a whole different story...
If we are going to raise the price of our childrens' lunches, can we not offer more time for them to enjoy what they are provided? My two elementary school aged children come home almost daily complaining of being hungry and when asked why, they almost always say, "I didn't have time to finish eating, Daddy." I have eaten with them a few times and can honestly say five, maybe ten more minutes would be more than enough for them to finish. No, the time allotted is not spent talking or playing. With several aides walking thru the cafeteria and their teachers, there is no way they can be talking and not eating. Instead of dismissing them the 15-20 minutes early each day, add these few minutes back to the schedule so there is not such a rush at the lunch table and throughout the day.
As far as grab and go goes, my youngest has been taking his lunch for the past 2 weeks because some of the food has been frozen when they get it. I cannot imagine letting a child go hungry because of a mistake of a parent. that is like making a child run at ball practice because they are late, what control over the situation do they have? Just another thing our school could have worried about instead of how our children dress.
Do they really throw that much food away? It does seem that Wednesday's goulash looks a lot like Mondays veggies. :>) It is a shame if they do throw that much food out because a lot of kids go hungry all day because they don't have the money. They use to do credits but now if you don't have the money you don't eat. So if your child loses his money or forgets his money he has no lunch.
I've eaten lunch with my child at school and after that experience I'm definately packing lunches next year. This increase is just a little extra incentive.
More times than not, my third grader will opt for the grab-and-go which consists of a smuckers peanut butter and jelly processed, previously frozen samich and a bag of chips and a fruit choice.
How is this healthy? Next year, I'm sending lunch!
Now-a-days, in the lower grades, they have a snack anyway.
Where's this free public education we keep hearing about. We have class fees, field trip fees and lunch fees that go up every year. We then have the teacher's begging the parents for supplies. Then our kids are sent home with cookie dough, candy and mags to sell. And the parents are made to feel like dirt, because if their child doesn't sell enough, then their child can go on the "specal trip" to the park. So we shell out the money, just so our children can not feel ashamed about missing out on an activity.
I could not agree with you more, rebelrose.
I pack a lunch for my child everyday. It's cheaper, and I believe healthier in the long run.
My son has one more year of school...He never ate the school lunches anyway...Maybe it will be cheaper and better if the children took their lunch to school...I use to work at the schools ...And you will not believe how much food they throw away...I use to say Why can't we give this food to someone that needs it..They always told me that they can not do that..I just thought it was terrible that they thru so much food away...And at breakfast I remember a couple of small children that were wanting breakfast and they were turned away cause they had no money and were not on the free or reduced list...And one little girl would always cry...So I paid several times for her to eat...I was told you can not do that anymore...It is not our place to pay for their food..I said and then you turn around and throw food away that these children could have ate..Any way I stopped working there cause I could not stand to see that go on anymore...
So not only do i have to buy a certain type of clothes for school now I am going to be paying more for lunches. I know prices go up but my pay is not. The school board needs to take into consideration that our economy is bad and realize parents are doing everything they can to provide the best for their kids. what is going to happen to those that cannot afford school fees, lunches and uniforms?
Didn't I hear at the county commissioners meeting that they MADE money off of the free and/or reduced lunches but lost money on the paid lunches?
How is that? The USDA fully refunds it or some such like that?