By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
School boards across the state are making many decisions with annual appointments and other housekeeping duties. Monday night, the USD 431 Hoisington Board of Education voted against a state recommendation to increase lunch prices and keep them the same for all students. Superintendent Patrick Crowdis said the district has approximately $182,000 in its food service account with current pricing.
"That is over three months worth of expenses," he said. "We averaged around $55,000 that we pay to Opaa! each month. The state actually doesn't want us to carry any more than that. If you would want to keep those prices the same, I think that would be justifiable."
Reduced lunches are set by the state with breakfast costing $0.30 and lunch at $0.40. The current breakfast price for all students is $2.00, and the board voted to lower that to $1.95. Student lunch prices range from $2.60 to $2.85, and the proposal was to raise that price by as much as $0.10. Board President Dean Stoskopf was against the increase.
"In the past, we've tried to keep that price fairly low because we're 50-60 percent free and reduced lunches," he said. "This price increase really doesn't affect them. It's the other 40-50 percent of families that aren't in there that maintain the brunt of that increase in the cost."
Board Member Becky Mooney also spoke against the increase, and Board Member Sara Tarlton said families already complain about portion size. Raising the price and not increasing portion size could cause more students to bring their own lunch. The board voted 6-0 for the breakfast reduction, to keep lunches the same price, and to increase adult lunches to $4.50.
"The danger is if we don't increase it some this year, then next year or the year after we may have to take a substantial jump," Stoskopf said. "It's darned if you do, darned if you don't on those things."