At the most recent Perry School Board meeting, Food Service Director Gail McFarlin presented the proposed meal prices for the 2017-18 school year.

In order to remain in compliance with the United States Department of Agriculture rules, McFarlin requested to increase the price of lunches by $.10. The number schools are supposed to shoot for is $2.85, but with this year’s price being $2.50 the jump would have been too large.

Superintendent Lynn Ubben admits the price increase may seem confusing to some, including School Board members, but she assures people it is necessary. “The reason it’s confusing for our Board and some of us is, our school lunch account does very well. And so you look at that and say, ‘Well, it’s not like we need the money.’ But that’s not the point. For you to get the funding that you get, you need to follow the USDA guidelines for pricing and commodities, those types of things. So we’ll follow the rules!”

McFarlin did have some good news to report. Breakfast will remain free for students at all schools, as will summer meals. To hear more about this and other Perry School Board topics, listen to Tuesday’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.