Craig Daily Press

Craig — Rising food prices are affecting nearly every local food and beverage vendor, said Mark Rydberg, Moffat County School District finance director.

Next year, the price of meals offered to School District students will reflect these rising costs.

The Moffat County School Board voted to increase meal prices by 25 cents for the 2008-09 school year at its monthly meeting Thursday night.

The price increase marks the first time the School District has raised its meal rates in about five years, Rydberg said.

“We’re just trying to stay up with the times,” he said.

Currently, school lunches and breakfasts cost students $2.25, and $1.00, respectively.

Next year, those respective prices will increase to $2.50 and $1.25, Rydberg said.

Milk costs aren’t exempt from the price increase. Next year, students will pay 50 cents for milk — a 15-cent increase from last year.

Rising food prices, coupled with climbing fuel costs, are the main reasons behind the price increase.

“Shipping costs to get (food supplies) to Craig are passed on to us,” Rydberg said.

The price increase will add about $36,900 to the School District’s food service budget next year, according to the School District.

In 2008-09, the district’s food service program is budgeted to bring in $765,377.

However, according to the document, expenditures in the food service budget next year are projected to top out at $779,318, resulting in a $13,941 deficit.

The School District is looking for other ways to make up for the shortage, Rydberg said.

One of those may be providing a la carte services at Craig Middle School — a revenue source currently not included in the budget.

The a la carte menu at the middle school is projected to bring in about $20,000 annually to the School District, Rydberg said.

The sum isn’t “a pure profit,” he said, because adding an al a carte menu also would require purchasing food to stock it.

Still, if the menu is added into the budget, it would come close to making up for the nearly $14,000 deficit, Rydberg said.

However, some of the School District’s students also will receive a leg up paying for their school meals next year. Government funding will pay for the noon meals of students in kindergarten through second grade who are eligible for reduced-cost lunch program.

Students’ eligibility for the reduced lunch program is based in part upon their parents’ or legal guardians’ income, Rydberg said, adding that students on the reduced lunch program pay 40 cents for lunches.

Government funds will reimburse the school for those funds, adding about $18,000 to the food service budget, according to the School District.

Bridget Manley can be reached at 875-1795 or bmanley@craigdailypress.com.