School Lunch Prices and Info

Published July 31, 2008

When school starts August 11, Williamson County students will see a slight increase in the cost of school lunch. The price per lunch will go up 25 cents.

For elementary schools, the cost of lunch will go from the current price of $2.25 to the new price of $2.50. Middle and high school students will also see a 25 cent increase, pushing the cost of their lunch to $2.75.

Williamson County Schools Child Nutrition Program Director James Griffith says the increase is necessary considering the rising cost of fuel and food. "Milk alone has gone up 30 percent since last year," said Griffith. "We have also seen an increase in flour and oils, so we expect to see an increase in the price of bread this year."

Although the price will go up, students can expect the same great taste and quality food they've come to expect at Williamson County schools. The Child Nutrition Department goes to great lengths to ensure each student has access to a healthy selection of lean meats, fruits and vegetables daily.

The Child Nutrition Department will unveil a new type of milk container in the schools this year. Elementary students will receive a small plastic bottle instead of the traditional milk cartons. Middle and high school students will receive a larger plastic bottle. "I’ve looked at other systems that did it last year," said Griffith. "One of the good things that comes out of it is that their milk participation has increased as much as 11 percent."

Williamson County Schools is also partnering with Keep Williamson Beautiful to increase the amount of recycling within each school. Instead of sending the empty milk cartons to a landfill as done in the past, the children can place the new milk bottles into a container to be recycled. "That way we’ll be saving the landfill, and the schools will make a little bit of money because they will get paid for the plastic," said Griffith. "It’s a win-win deal so we’re definitely excited about going to that."