The School Committee approved a 25 cent increase in school lunches for next year, upping prices to keep pace with rising food and labor costs.
The committee's vote last week means the price of a basic lunch will increase this fall from $2.50 to $2.75 at the town's five elementary schools and Thurston Middle School, and go from $2.75 to $3 at Westwood High School.
In an in-depth presentation in March, Director of Business & Finance Heath Petracca explained that Westwood has held the price of its school lunches steady over the past two to three years, while food and labor costs have been increasing.
"Especially within the past year, food costs have skyrocketed, mainly because of the fuel charges and fuel prices' increase," he said then.
Echoing that, Superintendent John Antonucci said Thursday night that the price of food "has gone up exponentially, so it's a way for us to maintain our balances at an appropriate level."
School officials could not recall exactly when the last price increase took place.
The price changes do not affect more upscale items available in the high school cafeteria, Cafe West. The cafe includes a catering division.
Antonucci said a community newsletter blurb had said that the cafe would be opened to the public this summer - but he has since learned "that the town zoning doesn't allow us to officially be open to the public." So the public will not be able to buy food there this summer after all, he said.
Also last week, the School Committee approved a one-year contract with custodians for fiscal 2010. Antonucci said the agreement includes no cost-of-living increase and some minor language and other changes. It covers 29 people.
Antonucci said the custodians' union was "an absolute pleasure to deal with. They really understood and brought to the table an attitude that reflected the very difficult financial climate we're in."
"We thank them. They're kind of unsung heroes in the building to begin with, so we really appreciate their efforts," he said.
The meeting was the committee's last of the 2008-09 school year. Its members plan to meet next on Thursday, Sept. 17, two weeks after the first day of school in the fall.
Daily News staff writer Edward B. Colby can be reached at 781-433-8336 or ecolby@cnc.com.
