Taking a look at school lunches

Area school districts in the past three years have seen steep increases in the number of students who qualify for free or reduced-cost meals due to low family income levels.

Coeur d'Alene's percentage jumped from 40 to 47 percent this year; Post Falls from 43 to 55 percent; and Lakeland 39 to 52 percent.

A total of 9,544 students from the three districts qualified for the programs this year, including 4,341 in Coeur d'Alene, 3,044 in Post Falls and 2,159 at Lakeland.

"With the downturn in the economy, the loss of jobs, reduction in hours and/or wages, more families qualify for the meal program," said Ed Ducar, Coeur d'Alene's nutrition services director.

"By providing both breakfast and lunch, (districts) have helped to reduce the stress on families in our community by providing meals for their children five days a week."

To qualify for a free meal during the school year, the total annual income for a family of four must be $28,665 or less. To qualify for reduced-cost meals, the total income must be $40,793 or less.

A federal subsidy pays for the free and reduced programs.

During the summer, free breakfast and lunch - no questions asked - are offered to students at several schools in the Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls districts.

Post Falls mother Becca Johnson said she doesn't necessarily like to use the free program during the school year, but it helps her as a single parent taking care of her two kids.

"I'm glad the program is available to those of us who qualify," she said. "I don't know what I'd do without it. There's a lot of people struggling out there. I know there's others in the same boat."

Johnson said she's also thankful that the summer meal program, supported by federal funding, is offered. It gives her kids a nutritious meal and helps her budget. She also uses the time as an outing with her children and an opportunity to visit with other families.

"It gives us something to do during the summer, and the kids enjoy getting out and being around other students," she said.

Annie Mader, Post Falls' child nutrition programs director, said some children don't eat much at home so schools are about the only option for a balanced meal.

"We have kids who live in cars, somebody else's home or a barn, and they have nothing to eat unless they are at school," she said. "Those are the kids who we are really impacting because we're feeding them."

* Meanwhile, school meal costs for those who don't qualify for the programs are rising slightly due to the hike in food costs. School meals are a break-even program for the districts.

Proposed hikes will be presented to the Coeur d'Alene School Board on July 11. Breakfast is proposed to rise a nickel for elementary students to $1.40, while it would remain at $1.60 for middle school and high school. Elementary lunches are proposed to increase a dime to $2.35 and a nickel each for middle school ($2.55) and high school ($2.80).

In Post Falls, breakfast costs ($1.55 for elementary; $1.80 for middle and high school) will remain the same. Lunch costs will increase a nickel for all levels ($2.30 elementary; $2.55 middle school; and $2.80 high school).

Student lunch prices will remain the same at Lakeland. Adult prices will increase a quarter to $2.25 for breakfast and $3.25 for lunch.