Arizona schools deal with increasing food costs, supply issues - Arizona's Family

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - Rising food costs aren’t just impacting us at home or when we dine out, it’s forcing some schools to change menus and increase meal prices.

“Our milk price alone went up four cents a carton, which you think what’s four cents, but four cents times 3-million cartons in a year is quite high for us,” Sandra Schossow, Peoria Unified’s Food and Nutrition Director, said.

During the last two years, school meals were free to all kids nationwide regardless of family income, but that pandemic-era free meal program has ended. Many schools now charge for meals unless a family qualifies for free and reduced lunch.

Schossow says it’s been a struggle making sure all parents understand the change.

“We still have parents that say wait meals are not free for everyone? We want to make sure that they know that yes, you can still get it if you apply, but it’s not free for everyone. It was a challenge to get that information out,” Schossow said.

Peoria Unified School District says food costs are up around 30% this year.

“It’s really been your chicken products, beef products, even eggs have gone up. Since chicken nuggets and chicken patties are such big staples in school lunch, that’s where you feel some of the biggest hits,” Schossow said.

The Department of Agriculture is helping to offset the costs by providing additional temporary funding. Because of that, Peoria Unified didn’t increase meal prices to students this year even though some Valley school districts did.

“We still want to make sure that we’re always giving quality food to our kids, giving them good options, not shortchanging our kids because of food costs. We have made sure that we look at our labor, we look at the meals,” Schossow said.

Schossow says it’s been a struggle making sure all parents understand the change.

“We still have parents that weight meals are not free for everyone. We want to make sure that they know that yes, you can still get it if you apply, but it’s not free for everyone. It was a challenge to get that information out,” Schossow said.

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