The Exchange Announces School Lunch Price Increase Published Dec. 7, 2011 By Exchange Europe Region Office of the Chief of Public Affairs MAINZ-KASTEL, Germany -- Starting Jan. 3, 2012, school lunch prices at all Department of Defense Education Activity schools Outside the Continental United States will increase. Nov. 10, 2011, the military services approved an increase in the price of school lunches at DoDEA schools in order to keep pace with increasing operational costs and comply with The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (Public Law 111-296). The Act requires participants in the USDA meal program to raise paid student lunch prices to a level comparable to the state subsidy rate used for USDA reimbursement. As the designated School Food Authority, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service provides school meals on a non-profit, break even basis. In order to keep pace with increasing food and operational costs, and to be compliant with this new law, school lunch prices will increase for the first time in seven years. The last price increase was a $0.10 per meal in 2004. The new increase is $.35 per full price meal making the new prices starting on January 3, 2012, $2.40 for Elementary Students and $2.55 for Secondary Students; these prices are still much lower than what it costs to prepare a meal (average cost is about $5.50). Families qualifying for the Free and Reduced Meal Program will not be impacted by the meal cost increases. The cost of a reduced-price meal will remain unchanged at 40 cents per meal. Wholesome, balanced meals are vital to the academic achievement of school-aged children. The DoD School Meal Program meets the same USDA guidelines as CONUS schools by providing all of the important nutrients children need to be successful in school and healthy in the future.