Why school lunch prices are rising in Naperville
School lunch prices in Naperville Unit District 203 are rising 10 cents for each meal under a new food service contract that takes effect next school year.
Lunches at the high school level will cost $2.60 each, junior high lunches will cost $2.55 and grade school lunches will cost $2.50 beginning in the fall under a one-year, $3.5 million contract with Aramark Educational Services LLC.
Sodexo had been the district's food vendor, but the company told the district in March it would not be able to renew the contract at the rate of $2.32 cents per meal.
The district sought bids to choose its next food service provider and chose Aramark because it offered the cheapest price among companies that met all requirements — $2.57 per meal. One company offered a lower price but wasn't considered a responsive bidder because it failed to earn a positive recommendation from 80 percent of the references the district called, Chief Financial Officer Brad Cauffman said.
Superintendent Dan Bridges said the new food service contract means the district will continue participating in the national school lunch program, which provides free or discounted meals to students whose families qualify based on income requirements.
But some school board members said they're not sure the district should remain in the program because it comes with restrictive calorie counts.
“For school athletes or active students it's not enough calories to sustain through the rest of day, especially if they have lunch at 10:30 (a.m.),” board member Suzyn Price said.
Board President Terry Fielden said the federal program is designed to decrease sugar and other unhealthy ingredients in school meals to help lower obesity rates, but that doesn't mean it offers a suitable diet for every student.
“We also have to recognize that everyone burns calories at a different rate,” Fielden said.
Bridges said the district will evaluate its participation in the school lunch program during the next year.
He said he agrees with board members' concerns that the amount of food provided might not be appropriate for student athletes, so he wants administrators to “take a deeper look” at the downsides and benefits of remaining in the program.