Landon Abernethy eats lunch in the Startown Elementary School cafeteria every day.  On Tuesday, he enjoyed mini corn dogs, macaroni and cheese, and milk.  He is one of 12,750 Catawba County Schools students who eats a school lunch.

The cost of bread had already increased 4 cents this year to $1.35 for each load of sandwich bread and milk is currently 23 cents per carton in cost to the school system.  Duncan said the school system currently has bids out on prices for next year, which are expected to be in by mid-June or early July.

The most noticeable change has been in milk prices. In 2006-07 school year, the school system purchased 2.2 million cartons of milk for $423,850.  They have already topped last year’s figure in milk with 2.1 million cartons purchased for $487,583 with another month left to go in the school year.

The price of lunch in Catawba County Schools’ 16 elementary schools is $1.80, which buys each student one entrée, one vegetable, one fruit, bread, and milk or juice.  The meals cost the county $2.70 per meal.

Duncan said the school system has made changes in the past two years to make school lunches even healthier.  They bring in fresh strawberries and vegetables from local farmers, paid for hamburgers that are 100 percent beef and changed the menu to include more whole grains.

It’s a change that has come at a cost to the school system, Duncan said.  When they replaced cookies with whole grain cookies, they lost 85 percent in cookie sales.  Duncan also removed SunnyD from the shelves, which resulted in another “big hit,” in revenues, in excess of 50 percent loss.

“We will not be going up in price,” Duncan said.  “It will cost us more, but we want our children to receive healthy meals.”

The price increased 10 cents from $1.70 last year after prices increased, but even with increases in the price of food, they vow not to increase the price next year. Meanwhile 39 percent of students in Catawba County are approved for free or reduced lunch.

Of the 714 students attending Startown Elementary, 240 have free lunch and 63 have reduced price lunch.  While 75 percent ofstudents in Catawba County Schools eat a school lunch.

Duncan explained that some of the price is offset by the federal government, which reimburses 25 cents for paid lunches, $2.09 for reduced lunch and $2.49 for free lunches. She said that still doesn’t reimburse the full cost of the meal, which costs $2.70 to produce.  The school is also able to offset the cost with a la carte items like baked chips, ice cream products, dessert, yogurt parfaits and whole fruit, which cost extra, said Startown Elementary School Cafeteria Manager Barbara Whitener.

North Carolina is one of only 16 states that does not offer any funding to child nutrition programs, and school systems are not required to provide any funding for their budgets.

“We are completely self-supporting,” Duncan said.

Catawba County Schools has to make enough money in food sales to pay for the cafeteria worker salaries, benefits and food purchasing.

A bill set to go before the North Carolina General Assembly this summer could help.  The N.C. Department of Instruction and the School Nutrition Association of North Carolina have asked the General Assembly for $20 million next year to help pay for new state nutrition guidelines in elementary schools.

Duncan said that would make a “tremendous difference.”