Libertyville D70 lunches to increase slightly

Lunches for Libertyville Elementary District 70 students will cost a little more next year as the schools move to cardboard trays that can be recycled.

Currently, Chartwells School Dinning Services offers Styrofoam trays for the lunches. Those trays are not recyclable and have to be thrown out, said Dr. Kurt Valentin, assistant superintendent of finance and operations. It will cost a little more for cardboard trays, which can be recycled once used.

“We'll break even with this,” Valentin said of the increased costs, “this is not a money-maker for us.”

The cost of a lunch will increase by 15 cents.

A five-punch lunch ticket will cost $14.50 next year compared to $13.75 this year. A single lunch will cost $2.90 compared to $2.75 this school year. The new lunch prices also will cover a 3 to 4 percent increase in food costs from inflation.

Milk tickets also will be bumped up to $3.00 from the current price of $2.50 for ten ½ pints of milk. The increase will help to cover the current cost of a pint of milk that runs at 29 cents, Valentin said. “We're just trying to capture our costs, that's all.”

District 70 parents brought their concerns about food trays that could not be recycled to the D70 staff early in the school year, seeking a way to have the trays be more environmentally friendly. Acting on the parents' request, the trays will be recyclable in the fall, Valentin said.

This is the second year for Chartwells at District 70. The school district changed over to Chartwells in the 2009-10 school year after parents and students expressed dissatisfaction with the food provider at the time.