Food crunch hits school lunch

School cafeterias raise prices, alter menus to cope with food shortages and cost spike

By Ruma Kumar | Sun reporter
8:31 PM EDT, May 7, 2008

... The global food shortage and the resulting spike in the cost of milk, grains and fresh fruits and vegetables are squeezing school lunchroom budgets in Maryland and across the nation.

A convergence of factors -- a sharp rise in food prices not seen since the 1970s, climbing transportation costs as oil tops $120 a barrel and growing labor costs -- has cash-strapped schools doing some creative penny-pinching and raising meal prices.

Anne Arundel County school board members voted Wednesday to raise school lunch and breakfast prices next school year by 25 cents and charge 5 cents more for a half-pint of milk. It's the first price increase the county has adopted for lunches in three years. School officials said costs for food have increased 15.5 percent in that time.

Even with pricier lunches, school nutrition officials in the 74,000-student Anne Arundel school system warned that they will face a $1 million deficit next year and will likely be forced to raise prices again next spring ...

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/k12/bal-lunch0507,0,2862866.story

:yoiks:

City budgets are going to be slammed hard next years, as cities have to deal with the rising cost of energy.

I can imagine what it's like in PG County. Guess the kids will have to brown bag it like I used to do (if their parents can even afford that)!