School lunch prices may go up

What's the big deal? In my days, in the 40's and 50's I used to bring home lunch. Why should I be taxed to pay for children who cannot afford to pay for their lunch? The problem here is that their parents cannot control themselves and get too many children that they cannot afford to take care of. It should be no free lunches and if you can afford it then you pay.

To DigxZero: school meals are healthier than they used to be and meet all federal requirements. But if you believe a bag lunch from home is better for your child, by all means, prepare it. Bag lunches are not in any way a show of lack of support for your child's school. To Kauhale: DOE actually collects more if students receive a free meal. USDA reimburses DOE $3.25 for a "free" student lunch but only $0.30 for a student who pays the "full price" of $2.25 (elem) or $2.50 (secondary). Hawaii general tax funds make up the difference for both free and full-pay meals.

the cost for public school lunches .. has only risen in the past few years, my child is now in the 3rd grade, so that quite a big chunk of change. Since the beginning of SY 2011-2012, we have decided that a "healthy meal" comes from home, for all the right reasons of nutrition. I recently had the opportunity to have a school meal with my child. OMG, felt like "lard", nevertheless, I felt it was my parental duty to "support my child's school"..

I think the paying children should completely boycott the lunch program. The food isn't that good. I remember the last time I had a school lunch, macroni and cheese, I became ill so I stopped eating the lunches and brought my own food. Frankly, it is an evil thing to raise the price of food for our children as an invisible tax for those who can afford to purchase lunches. The DOE should drop 6,000 teachers instead. Years ago, 6500 teachers taught the same number of students as do 13,500 teachers today, many of whom do not teach. Yes, the DOE wants blood from are children and, in return, will start a surfing program. This sector of the government is certainly strange.

I couldn't agree more. I have graduated from high school not too long ago and let me tell you from my experience that the food is downright terrible and not worth it as it is. I remember prices steadily rising when I was in school from $1, then $1.25, then $2.00, then $2.25. And all for the same reason: the politicians (yes the people running our schools ARE politicians) "need" more money... And the children and taxpayers pay for the BOE's greed.

58 percent of students pay for the lunch the rest do not have to pay. what? so they will raise the price on the 58 percent and the other 42% still do t pay a dime. What if the proposal was that the 42% pay one dollar instead of eating for free.