School meal prices rise, adding about $23,000 for families

What happened

The School Committee approved an increase in elementary and secondary school meal prices. The superintendent said the increase represents approximately $23,000 more than last year across the district. At the same meeting he reported the FY2026 budget was projected to end with a balance above the 2 per cent set aside, and introduced Dr. Kristen Stringfellow, who had been serving as interim senior high school principal.

Why it matters to families

School lunch is a weekly cost for most families, and this puts the price up from the start of the school year.

The evidence

The June 23, 2026 approved minutes record the motion to approve an elementary and secondary meal price increase and the superintendent's note that the price represents an approximate $23,000 increase from last year. The per-meal prices themselves are not stated in the minutes.

The source