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Starting Dec. 1, the Edmonds School District will be increasing the price of school lunches to comply with federal regulations.
“Federal regulations require school districts to ensure that paid meal prices remain higher than the federal reimbursement provided for free and reduced-price meals,” the District said in a newsletter to families. Starting Dec. 1, prices will increase by 25 cents for elementary and secondary student lunches and by 50 cents for adult lunches.
“We know even small increases can affect families, and we want to remind you that Free and Reduced-Price Meal benefits are available year-round,” the District said. “Families may apply at any time, especially if household income changes or additional support is needed.”
New Prices (effective Dec. 1, 2025):
Elementary Lunch: $3.75
Secondary Lunch: $4.25
Adult Lunch: $5.50
School breakfast and lunch will continue to be served at no cost for all students at designated schools (See the Food and Nutrition Services Q&A for the list of schools). These schools receive full federal reimbursement for one breakfast and one lunch per student each day.
wow! that seems high! the EWC charges only $4 for a very substantial lunch. Free for those who can’t afford it..
What kind of federal regulation requires the price increase? How many children in the district are eligable for a reduced price lunch. What lunch are they served? IT is hard enough to be a kid in this day and age why do you want to make it worse by making them different than there peers? This is wrong on so many levels.
I did a little research since Kathy asked the question. This is a snippet of the explanation of federal requirements. I’d add that this federal govt denied food to millions during the longest govt shut down in history even when ordered not to. What I don’t know is the “age” of this USDA requirement, ie is it part of all the changes the current administration is making? Here you go on what I found with a quick search:
“No single federal regulation requires schools to increase their prices, but federal regulations for the National School Lunch Program do mandate that schools maintain a Paid Lunch Equity (PLE) requirement to ensure paid lunch prices are higher than the reimbursement rate for free and reduced-price meals. This regulation, under the authority of the USDA, requires school districts to raise paid lunch prices if their school food service account is in a negative balance and to adjust prices to meet the PLE requirements.
This requirement, established by the USDA, is designed to help ensure that the nonprofit school food service account has sufficient revenue from paid lunches to cover the difference between the federal reimbursement for free and reduced-price lunches. …”
Thank you for your research. The Federal Government denying food to people is one of the most morally reprehensible things I have ever heard of. There really should be some recourse for the people who have been legally authorized to receive food stamps. There should also be some way to set up a fund(Kinda like a trust fund) to cover lunches for any student that need lunch money.
Most of the schools have free lunches for all students. This mainly affects adults buying school lunch.
IF this was true, this would not be an issue. maybe the key word is “Most” what does that mean?
All students in the Edmonds School District are given a lunch if they don’t bring their own. If a student is not on the Free or Reduced Meal status, and not in a school that qualifies for all students to get free meals, and there is no money in their food account, they still get a lunch. And all students get the same lunch options so that there are no noticeable differences between those who have paid and those who have not.
Thank you for this information Nancy. Much appreciated.
Pamela, thank YOU for researching and posting the federal regulations. It is in fact the Paid Lunch Equity requirement that forced us to raise the price.