Daniel Green says he doesn’t think much about school lunches.

The 15-year-old just gets in line and eats whatever is served.

Green, who is entering Lawrence High School this year, said a likely fee increase for a school lunch would be “no big deal” to him.

For the third consecutive year, Lawrence district students will experience a 5- to 10-cent increase for their school lunches.

The school district has to increase revenue to support the program, Supt. Randy Weseman said. Production costs continue to go up, and the district wasn’t seeing an increase in state and federal reimbursements and funds, he said.

“The state and federal reimbursements have been flat for a while,” board president Austin Turney said. “With the state of things, I don’t think there will be an improvement in what the district receives. So, we need to make up for it in how much we charge.”

In a memo to board members, district food services director Paula Murrish outlined three options for the increases in lunch fees:

• Increase the cost for secondary and elementary students’ lunches by 5 cents each.


A student uses her meal ticket to purchase food at West Junior High School in this 2002 photo. The Lawrence school board will weigh three options for an increase in school lunch costs at today's meeting.

• Increase elementary lunch by 10 cents and secondary lunch by 5 cents.
• Increase elementary and secondary lunches each by 10 cents.

Reduced-price lunches will remain at 40 cents, which has been the cost for at least the past five years.

Murrish didn’t return calls Tuesday.

Turney questioned why the district didn’t increase the price for meals served to adults. Adults would include staff, faculty, parents, grandparents or any member of the community, said district spokeswoman Julie Boyle.

Since the 2002-2003 school year, the price of adult meals has remained at $2.50. The district has been following the recommendation of the Kansas State Department of Education, Turney said.

“I think we should increase it slightly to avoid a bigger jump later down the road,” he said. Before the 2002-2003 school year, meals for adults were $2.25.

Lawrence public schools’ lunch prices are similar to those in other northeast Kansas districts, such as Shawnee Heights, Blue Valley, Olathe and Shawnee Mission.

“I know 10 cents is 10 cents, but I think we try to accommodate people,” board member Cindy Yulich said.

The school board meets at noon today at district headquarters, 110 McDonald Drive.