While the state’s meal pricing formula says Daviess County Public Schools should charge $4.15 for a paid high school lunch next year, the district plans to use its food service fund to limit the increase from $3 to $3.50 and absorb the remaining cost.
The DCPS Board of Education discussed the new lunch price during its meeting on Tuesday and will vote on the measure at Thursday’s meeting.
Director of Finance Sara Harley said districts are required each year to complete the Paid Lunch Equity (PLE) calculation, which the state uses to determine the amount it says schools should charge for paid lunches.
For the 2026-27 school year, the calculation determined DCPS should charge $4.15 for a paid lunch instead of the current price of $3. However, the district is proposing to only increase the price by 50 cents and use money from its food service fund to absorb the remaining 65 cents.
“We were willing to take the hit to make food affordable for our students,” Harley said following the meeting.
Harley said the district took a similar approach last year, using the food service fund to limit the impact of a state-recommended increase. That allowed the paid high school lunch price for the 2025-26 school year to increase to $3 rather than a higher amount suggested by the formula.
Harley said the food service fund is separate from the district’s general operating budget and is supported through paid meal purchases, adult cafeteria sales, and federal reimbursements received through school nutrition programs.
Part of that revenue comes through the National School Lunch Program and the Community Eligibility Provision, which provide reimbursements for qualifying meals.
The price change applies only to high school students who do not qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Students who qualify for free or reduced lunches will continue receiving those benefits.
The increase will not affect elementary or middle school students, who receive free breakfast and lunch through the Community Eligibility Provision. Breakfast prices will also remain unchanged for the upcoming school year.
Harley said inflation remains the primary factor behind the higher recommended meal price.
“It’s just that everything costs more,” she said. “Everything’s gone up.”
