Chippewa Valley Reports Increased Need for Free/Reduced Meals

With the number of students requesting food assistance expected to increase in 2012-13, offer a breakfast program at 11 of its 16 elementary and middle schools.

To comply with the USDA and State of Michigan, districts are required to offer a breakfast program at all school buildings where applications for free and reduced-price lunch total more than 20 percent of that building’s enrollment.

In Chippewa Valley, that mandate applies to 11 elementary and middle schools, based on October 2011 counts. These schools include: Clinton Valley Elementary, Cherokee Elementary, Erie Elementary, , Huron Elementary, Miami Elementary, , Ottawa Elementary, Algonquin Middle School, Wyandot Middle School and .

Although five of the district’s elementary and middle schools will not offer a breakfast program in 2012-13, Assistant Superintendent of Business Operations Scott Sederlund said the number of free and reduced applications at these schools is now between 13 and 17 percent of total enrollment, so breakfast programs will likely be needed in the near future.

Both  and  high schools will also offer breakfast programs, but because "it’s economically feasible,” and not because these schools meet the 20 percent threshold Sederlund said.

Breakfast/Lunch Prices for 2012-13

The Chippewa Valley school board voted Monday to keep breakfast and lunch prices for the 2012-13 academic year the same as prices in 2011-12.

For the 2011-12 year, the district increased lunch and milk prices by 10 cents and 5 cents, respectively.

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