School Lunch Prices

Back in June we had a post, one in a long line of posts, about global food prices and their effects on everything from the cost of popcorn to riots in haiti.
We also had a post about school lunch prices getting set to sky rocket. That post linked to an MSNBC article that, obviously, was written to scare parents everywhere.
And so, as schools are starting to open in a large part of the country today, the NYTimes has this story, three months after MSNBC did, "As Food Costs Rise, So Do School Lunch Prices." (nytimes)

"Prices on some school lunch lines are going up this fall as school officials, like many others, struggle to pay higher prices and delivery fees for staples like bread, milk, fresh fruit and vegetables. The price increases, generally about 25 cents a meal, come as school districts in New York and across the country try to eke more out of already tight budgets, with some switching to four-day schedules to reduce utility and busing costs, and others asking more of their students to walk to school or limiting out-of-town games for athletic teams."(nytimes again)

This is unfortunate for all families struggling to make ends meet already with high energy prices. And now we are asking our children to cut back on sports against their arch rivals over in Shelbyville just seems a little unfair. Then again, I would have been all for a 4 day school week when I was young... our children need no five hole days to be edumacated.
We're already the smartest in the world.... oh wait, never mind. (usde)