photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

The Lawrence school district offices building, located at 110 McDonald Dr., is pictured in May 2025.

Lawrence school board members will consider school meal increases for the 2026-2027 school year on Monday.

The changes include a $0.15 increase to paid student lunch prices and a $0.10 increase in paid student breakfast prices compared to meal prices in 2025-2026.

For elementary school students, lunches will cost $3.25. Middle school lunches will be priced at $3.45, and high school lunch meals will cost $3.50. Elementary school breakfast’s are priced at $2.20, and middle school breakfast’s will cost $2.30. High school breakfast meals will total $2.35.

District staff told board members at the May 26 meeting that the reasoning for the proposed increases was due to a gap between paid meal revenue and the cost of providing meals. Since 2023, production costs – including labor, food, milk, supplies, equipment, and repairs – have outpaced the paid student meal price increases.

“With the increased cost of labor and food prices the last few years, the food service fund has continued netting a deficit of a few hundred thousand dollars each year,” a memo in the agenda said. “With a balance that increased during COVID, the Food Service fund balance is rapidly depleting and projected to impact the General Fund within 1-2 years.”

The reduced-price meals will remain at $0.30 for breakfast and $0.40 for lunch for all students. In addition, the students who qualify for free meals will continue to receive meals at no-cost. The application for free or reduced-price meals for the 2026-2027 school year will be released in early July. Families can apply at https://shorturl.at/gsBV3.

There will also be a ten-cent increase to adult meal costs. Adult meal prices for the 2026-2027 school year will be $5.25 for lunch and $3.20 for breakfast.

photo by: Screenshot

The Lawrence school district’s fund balance for the Food Service Fund from 2016-2026.

photo by: Screenshot

An overview of the average school meal prices at the Lawrence school district from 2019-2020 to 2025-2026.

IN OTHER BUSINESS, BOARD MEMBERS WILL:

• Discuss the school district’s new Choice Campus at Centennial, which is scheduled to open in August. Students will have access to numerous learning options, like in-person support, online coursework, courses at high schools and career-connected learning. The campus will serve as a central hub where each student’s pathway is intentionally built around their goals, graduation requirements, and postsecondary plans.

The presentation from staff will outline the features of the program, spotlight the students who may benefit from Centennial Choice and the next steps in preparing for its opening ahead of the 2026-2027 school year. No additional details were included in the agenda as of Friday afternoon.

• Consider approving the district’s facility rental fee structure and guide for in-district and out-of-district groups looking to rent school buildings. Nonprofit organizations generally pay lower rates than for-profit groups, while school-sponsored events often have fees waived. The proposed rental guide and fees can be viewed at https://shorturl.at/GBKdP.

• Consider approving the payment of the district’s excess workers compensation insurance policy for the next two years with an estimated annual premium of $79,337 to maintain coverage that protects the district from workers’ compensation claims exceeding $400,000. The coverage would be in place from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2028.

• Consider a three-year renewal for the family communication platform ParentSquare in the amounts of $50,408 in 2026-2027, $52,928 in 2027-2028 and $55,575 in 2028-2029. The 2025-2026 school year’s contract cost $42,007.

This platform consolidates all district and school-level communications, such as urgent alerts, attendance notifications, newsletters, two-way messaging and online forms into a single platform that can be accessed by all families. According to the agenda, 99.2% of district families are currently utilize the platform.

• Consider approving the sale of marketable excess items – such as furniture, fixtures, equipment, shelving, electrical supplies – through online auction platform Purple Wave, and donating less sellable items to Restore-Habitat for Humanity, and/or Orphan Grain Train Inc. The funds received will go towards the capital outlay fund.

• Consider approving year end budget transfers to close out the 2025-2026 fiscal year. There was no additional information included in the agenda as of Friday afternoon.

The board will meet at 6 p.m. Monday at the district offices, 110 McDonald Drive. Public comment is not included on Monday’s agenda, but people can share written comments with the board via email at schoolboard@usd497.org. The meeting will also be available via the school district’s YouTube channel.