District 65 Board Unanimously Approves School Lunch Price Hike

EVANSTON, IL — The Evanston/Skokie School District 65 board voted unanimously Monday night to raise the price of full-cost student lunches for the 2025–26 school year — the first increase in two years.

The motion passed 7–0 with little discussion. The approved measure raises elementary school lunches from $3.50 to $4 and middle school lunches from $3.75 to $4.25 — a 14% average increase. Breakfast prices will remain unchanged at $2.25.

District officials say the change is needed to keep up with rising expenses, particularly labor and food costs. In a memo to the board, Nutrition Services Coordinator Kate Mason-Schultz said labor costs have jumped 60% over the past five years.

In an email to the Patch, Mason-Schultz said the rise in labor costs was driven entirely by wage increases aimed at attracting and retaining qualified workers.

The district is also facing a 7.5% increase in the cost of meals provided by Evanston Township High School, adding further pressure on its food services budget.

"These costs have been unavoidable and necessary in order to stay competitive with local pay rates and to continue to receive the food items needed to keep our students fed and ready to learn," Mason-Schultz wrote in the memo to the board.

When asked if the district considered a smaller increase, Mason-Schultz wrote that “we took care to consider the implications of an increase in lunch prices.”

She emphasized the price hike aligns closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s target rate of $4.01 for paid lunches. This helps ensure the district meets federal equity standards, so that funding for free and reduced meals doesn’t end up subsidizing full-pay meals.

The increase comes amid years of elevated grocery inflation that have affected families and institutions alike. While food prices have begun to stabilize — food-at-home prices increased by 2.4% from March 2024 to March 2025 — many staples remain significantly more expensive than before the pandemic.

Kate Monte, a District 65 parent, said that she thinks the increase makes sense. “I think a 50 cent increase is entirely reasonable,” she said. “Given the escalation of prices for goods and services, well, we all have felt that, and the district is no different.”

Monte, who has had five children go through the district and one dually-enrolled, added that when she calculates a typical lunch her child can make each day, it comes to $3.26 per lunch.

For families who don’t qualify for subsidized meals, the district hopes the quality and nutritional value of its offerings will keep participation strong despite the higher cost.

“As prices increase in the grocery stores as well, we are hopeful that families will continue to both participate and find value in our school meal programs,” Mason-Schultz wrote in an email, adding, “we take pride in our menus and always try to balance student satisfaction with high nutritional standards and exposure to new foods.”

The increase is expected to generate about $70,200 in additional revenue next school year — assuming participation levels remain steady.

District 65’s 2024-2025 lunch prices are still lower than many neighboring districts. For example, Wilmette District 39 charges $5.75 for middle school lunches, while Park Ridge/Niles District 64 charges $4.70.

During the pandemic, meals were offered at no cost to all students. Last year’s prices held steady, but the district now says it must catch up to current economic conditions.

Rachel Heimann Mercader is a freelance journalist in Chicago. She is currently a graduate student at Medill Northwestern School of Journalism.