I didn’t see the front page of the local newspaper until I got home today. But after dinner, I saw that one of the front page stories in today’s Press Enterprise issue covers Inland Empire schools’ price increase on cafeteria food. The story isn’t surprising since you would expect them to raise prices considering the cost of food (and transportation of that food) has gone up considerably. What does surprise me is what the schools are going to raise prices to.
Moreno Valley elementary lunch prices are going to go up to $1.75 starting in the 2008-2009 school year. $1.75? When I was in fifth grade at Arnold Heights Elementary (of the Moreno Valley Unified School District) back in 1989, the cost of a school cafeteria lunch was $1.25 (yes, I remember having to carry a one dollar bill and a quarter to school on the good cafeteria days such as “pizza day”). So you’re telling me that the school district is only now raising the price of a cafeteria lunch to $1.75? A whole 50 cent increase between 1989 and 2008? 19 years to raise prices 50 cents. Cost of living has certainly gone up since 1989 to justify a larger increase than 50 cents. The real question is why hasn’t school cafeteria food prices gone up steadily along with inflation and cost of living in those 19 years?
No wonder California is in a budget crisis. 19 years of giving away food in our public schools. It makes you wonder how much money the State has lost by under pricing school cafeteria lunches.
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