Culver City : Lunches to Cost 10 More

Lunch at Culver City elementary schools will cost a dime more next year.

The price increase, approved Tuesday by the Culver City Board of Education, will help offset losses in the cafeteria due to increased costs for salaries and food. Because of cutbacks in government surplus cheese and other items, food costs have gone up almost 20% this year and are expected to rise at least another 10% next year, according to the district.

The school cafeterias this year will show a total loss of $35,000 to $40,000, according to the district’s food service department.

Elementary school lunches, which have cost $1.25 for two years, will be $1.35. In addition, profit-making food items such as pizza, French fries, nachos, cookies and diet fruit sodas will be sold a la carte at Culver City middle and high schools, a food service report stated. Samples of possible a la carte offerings will be given to students to determine which are most popular, district officials said.

Middle and high school lunches will remain at $1.75.